Mauritania quits stalled gas pipeline project with Algeria

Mauritania has announced its withdrawal from the gas pipeline project with Algeria after almost two years and a half of inaction of Algerian authorities to implement this project, according to press reports.

Since the visit paid by Algerian energy minister Mohamed Arkab to Mauritania in June 2022, nothing moved forward. The minister had presented a feasibility study for the transport of Algerian gas to Mauritania, citing talks on the export of Mauritanian gas from the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim, an offshore LNG field, to Algeria before transporting it to Europe.

Furthermore, the cooperation agreement sealed between the Algerian Petroleum Institute and Mauritania national oil Company in training and capacity building of Mauritanian engineers and employers, was never implemented.

In 2022, Algiers and Nouakchott had agreed to enhance cooperation ties in energy and mining. The Algerian regime had pledged to supply Mauritania with hydrocarbons and butane gas via pipelines between the two countries. Algeria had also pledged to rehabilitate and extend Mauritania’s oil storage capacities in addition to hydrocarbon processing.

But all these promises remained more a form of wishful thinking than a reality, making Nouakchott waste time and energy on fruitless undertakings.