MAURITANIA · GAS
Key Facts
- —The country Mauritania is a desert nation on Africa’s Atlantic coast, led by President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, which began selling offshore gas in early 2025.
- —What happened Mauritania gas exports reached about 603,000 tonnes of LNG from July to September, up 16% from 521,000 a year earlier, Attaqa and Le360 Afrique reported.
- —Nine months From January to September the country shipped nearly 1.97 million tonnes, more than 2.3 times the 823,000 tonnes of the same period in 2025.
- —The buyers China took about 152,000 tonnes, Bangladesh 135,000, Italy 122,000 and Egypt 76,000 in the third quarter, while all other buyers together took 119,000.
- —The warning sign September exports of 189,000 tonnes were 0.5% below a year earlier, the first yearly fall, and the quarter trailed the first quarter’s 703,000.
- —The source The gas comes from the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim field, shared with Senegal, and is liquefied on a floating plant rated at 2.5 million tonnes a year.
Mauritania gas exports grew 16% in the third quarter, with about 603,000 tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipped from July to September. LNG is gas chilled into a liquid for tankers, and the energy news platform Attaqa reported it on Monday 19 October.
For US readers, the numbers show a new West African supplier competing for the same buyers as American LNG exporters. They also show a young project that has stopped growing quickly and now runs near its ceiling.
What the Third Quarter Figures Show
Attaqa put Mauritania gas exports for July to September at about 603,000 tonnes, against 521,000 tonnes in the same months of 2025. That is a gain of 82,000 tonnes, or roughly 16%.
Over the first nine months of 2026 the country shipped nearly 1.97 million tonnes, up over 139% from 823,000 tonnes. The jump is large because commercial shipments only started in early 2025.
A Quarter That Peaked Early
Attaqa lists monthly exports of 218,000 tonnes in January, 232,000 in February and 253,000 in March, the highest month since shipments began. Output then ranged between 183,000 and 245,000 tonnes a month from April to September.
The quarter’s 603,000 tonnes sit below the 703,000 tonnes shipped in the first quarter. September, at 189,000 tonnes, fell 0.5% below September 2025, the first yearly decline on record.
Who Bought the Gas
China was the largest buyer with about 152,000 tonnes, split evenly between August and September at 76,000 tonnes each. Bangladesh took 135,000 tonnes in a single month, July, and together the two countries account for about 48% of the total.
Italy bought 122,000 tonnes, down 14% from 141,000 tonnes a year earlier, and Egypt took 76,000 tonnes in one August cargo. Other buyers together accounted for about 119,000 tonnes.
The Field Behind the Exports
The gas comes from the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim field, a deep-water project that Mauritania shares with its southern neighbour Senegal. BP, the British energy group, is the operator, and Kosmos Energy of the US and the two state oil firms, Petrosen and SMH, are partners.
A floating plant anchored offshore chills the gas into LNG, and Attaqa gives its capacity as 2.5 million tonnes a year. The third quarter’s volume works out at an annual pace of about 2.4 million tonnes, close to that ceiling.
What It Means for US Readers
Mauritania gas exports are small but growing, in a market where US exporters also compete for buyers in Europe, North Africa and South Asia. Italy, Egypt and Bangladesh can switch suppliers when prices or contracts change.
Kosmos Energy, a US oil company, is a partner in the field, so shipment trends matter to its shareholders. These figures are monthly export volumes and say nothing about prices, profits or payments to Mauritania’s state.
What Is Not Known
Attaqa does not say why September fell below last year, or at what price the cargoes were sold. The share of the gas sold under long-term contracts, as opposed to single cargoes, is also not published in its report.
Whether Mauritania gas exports will rise again is open, since monthly shipments have not matched March’s 253,000 tonnes since. The report also does not say how much revenue the Mauritanian state received from the third quarter’s sales.
More on Mauritania and Its Partner Senegal
The Rio Times covered the US$98 million of World Bank deals and the new 29-member government this month. A wider guide to the country is in Mauritania Explained 2026.
For the other side of the shared gas field, see the Rio Times guide to Senegal and its neighbours in West Africa. Both countries rely on the project for new export income.
More: Africa news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much gas did Mauritania export in the third quarter of 2026?
Mauritania gas exports were about 603,000 tonnes of liquefied natural gas from July to September 2026, according to Attaqa. That is 16% more than the 521,000 tonnes of the same months in 2025.
What is LNG?
LNG is natural gas cooled to a liquid so that it takes far less space and can travel on special ships. At the destination it is turned back into gas for power plants, factories and homes.
Who bought Mauritania’s gas?
China was the largest buyer in the third quarter with about 152,000 tonnes, followed by Bangladesh with 135,000, Italy with 122,000 and Egypt with 76,000. Other buyers took about 119,000 tonnes.
Where does Mauritania’s gas come from?
It comes from the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim field, a deep-water project shared with Senegal. Commercial exports started in early 2025.
Is growth in Mauritania gas exports slowing?
Mauritania gas exports were 16% above a year earlier in the third quarter but below the first quarter’s 703,000 tonnes. September fell 0.5% below September 2025, the first yearly decline since shipments began.
Sources: Attaqa (Energy Research Unit), Mauritania LNG exports rise 16%, 19 October 2026; Cridem, Les exportations de GNL de la Mauritanie dépassent 1,9 million de tonnes en neuf mois, 19 October 2026; Cridem, Hausse de 16% des exportations de gaz au troisième trimestre, 20 October 2026; Kosmos Energy release, first LNG cargo, bp plc operator of the project, 16 April 2025.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief