The International Chamber of Commerce has delivered a final ruling in favour of BP, affirming its position as the exclusive buyer of LNG from the GTA project offshore Senegal and Mauritania.  

This decision comes after a dispute between Kosmos Energy and BP Gas Marketing, a subsidiary of bp, regarding LNG sales from the project's first phase, reported Reuters.  

Kosmos Energy, a US-listed exploration company, was informed that the binding award prevents it from selling LNG cargos to third parties for the duration of the sales agreement, which may extend until 2033.  

In a Securities and Exchange Commission filing, Kosmos said: “The final, binding award prohibits the company from selling LNG cargos to third party buyers during the contract term of the LNG sales agreement, which the company has an option to end in 2033.  

“The final award does not change the terms of the LNG sales agreement as presently performed by the parties and is therefore not expected to have an impact on the company’s long-term expectations and financial condition.” 

UK-based oil and gas major bp, with a 56% stake in GTA and the project's operator, has a 20-year contract to purchase 2.5 million tonnes per year of LNG from the project. 

The project boasts the deepest subsea infrastructure in Africa, with wells located at depths of up to 2,850m.  

Kosmos CEO Andrew Inglis indicated at a BloombergNEF conference in London that the GTA project is expected to commence by year-end.  

Kosmos holds a 26.8% share in the project, with Societe des Petroles du Senegal and Societe Mauritanienne des Hydrocarbures as partners. 

In June, bp announced the arrival of the floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, a crucial element of the GTA Phase 1 LNG development, at its final offshore location.  

The FPSO is designed to process more than 500 million standard cubic feet of gas per day, purifying the gas before its transfer via pipeline to the floating LNG vessel situated approximately 10km offshore.  

There, the gas will undergo cryogenic cooling and liquefaction, preparing it for exportation.