BP announced on Monday that its three-well drilling program offshore Mauritania and Senegal encountered gas in "high quality", confirming the supermajor's confidence in the "world-class scale" of the hydrocarbon resources in the West African region.

Three appraisal wells drilled this year, GTA-1, Yakaar-2 and Orca-1 – the first in the region to be operated by BP –  revealed gas in high quality reservoirs in all nine targeted nine zones, encountering 160 meters of net pay in total, BP said.

Most recently, in November, Orca-1 well in Block C8 offshore Mauritania, encountered all five of the gas sands originally targeted. The well was then further deepened to reach an additional target, which also encountered gas.

Howard Leach, BP's head of exploration, said, "This is an exciting result as it proves that our seismic data is identifying hydrocarbon reservoirs deeper than we had previously thought. We have identified a large prospective area with considerable resource potential in Southern Mauritania. We will now conduct further appraisal drilling to help inform future development decisions."

The overall drilling campaign was delivered 40 days ahead of schedule and $30 million under budget.

The Greater Tortue Ahmeyim Phase 1 development was sanctioned in December 2018. The successful results of Yakaar-2 and Orca-1 could underpin future developments, including a possible new development in Yakaar-Teranga in Senegal and in the Bir Allah/Orca area in Southern Mauritania. The timings of both potential future developments will depend on the level of appraisal required, supporting commercial development plans and integrated gas master plans in the host nations.

BP's partners in Block C8 in Mauritania are Kosmos Energy and SMHPM (Société Mauritanienne Des Hydrocarbures et de Patrimoine Minier). BP's partners in the Cayar Profond block (which includes Yakaar-2) in Senegal are Kosmos Energy and Petrosen. BP's partners in the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim unit are Kosmos Energy, SMHPM and Petrosen.

In Mauritania, BP's working interests in offshore Blocks C-6, C-8, C-12 and C-13 is 62%, with Kosmos Energy holding 28% and Société Mauritanienne Des Hydrocarbures et de Patrimoine Minier (SMHPM) holding 10%. In Senegal, BP holds participating and effective working interests in the Saint-Louis Profond and Cayar Profond blocks offshore Senegal of 60%, with Kosmos Energy holding 30% and Société des Pétroles du Sénégal (Petrosen) holding 10%.

The Tortue gas field is located on the maritime border between Mauritania and Senegal and is being developed as the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project – an offshore floating liquefied natural gas facility (FLNG). It will be the first development that establishes the basin as a world class source of gas, providing revenue for the countries, as well as a low-cost source of domestic energy. BP is the lead operator for the project.