Africa's liquefied natural gas (LNG) export landscape is entering a new era after a landmark $4.6 billion cross-border gas project propelled Mauritania and Senegal into the ranks of global LNG exporters, expanding the continent's export club and intensifying competition in a market long dominated by Nigeria and Algeria.
The milestone, highlighted in the 2026 World LNG Report by the International Gas Union (IGU), comes as global LNG trade reached a record 437 million tonnes in 2025, rising 6.3% from the previous year—the strongest annual growth since 2022.
The report identifies Canada and Mauritania/Senegal as the newest LNG-exporting nations, underscoring Africa's growing role in meeting global gas demand.
The breakthrough was made possible by the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) project, a roughly $4.6 billion offshore development that straddles the maritime border between Mauritania and Senegal.
Operated by bp alongside Kosmos Energy and the two countries' national oil companies, the project's first phase is designed to produce about 2.5 million tonnes of LNG annually from an estimated 15 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas.
