Mauritanian Hydrocarbons Company

The Mauritanian Hydrocarbons Company (Société Mauritanienne des Hydrocarbures, SMH) is the national oil and gas company of Mauritania, headquartered in Nouakchott. It was created in 2005 as a public establishment with an industrial and commercial character, growing out of the earlier GPC project set up in 2004 to monitor the development of the Chinguetti field — Mauritania's first oil field, discovered in 2001. SMH began life holding a 12% participation in Chinguetti, and in 2009 it acquired the legal status of a national company under a new legislative framework. SMH's mandate covers the full hydrocarbon value chain: exploration and appraisal, development and production, storage, transport and processing, refining, marketing, export and import, as well as representing the Mauritanian state's interests in the petroleum sector. Its activities are organised into upstream (exploration, development, exploitation, abandonment), midstream and downstream segments, and the company also manages a mining portfolio following the extension of its missions in 2014, when by decree no. 2014-001 of 6 January 2014 it became SMHPM (Société Mauritanienne des Hydrocarbures et du Patrimoine Minier). Key assets and projects include the historic Chinguetti oil field, the cross-border Grand Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) gas field discovered in 2015 by Kosmos Energy and straddling the maritime border between Mauritania and Senegal, the onshore Taoudéni Basin, and Block C8 operated in partnership with BP since December 2016. SMH works alongside major international energy groups including BP, Kosmos Energy, TotalEnergies and ExxonMobil. The company states its vision as becoming an integrated national oil company of high technical excellence, contributing to the country's sustainable development and energy independence. It operates quality, safety and environment (QSE) management systems in line with international requirements and publishes societal and environmental responsibility information alongside its financial statements and tender notices.

The Mauritanian Hydrocarbons Company (SMH) traces its origins to 2004, when the GPC project was created to monitor the development of the Chinguetti field — Mauritania's first oil field, discovered in 2001. This project was the embryo on which SMH was later built. In 2005, by decree no. 2005-106 of 7 November 2005, SMH was created as a public establishment with an industrial and commercial character, with its sole assets being a 12% participation in the Chinguetti field. In 2009, SMH acquired the legal status of a national company under a new legislative framework. That same year, a new Mining Code established a state participation right in mining exploitations, foreshadowing the later expansion of SMH's remit. In 2010–2011, a new Raw Hydrocarbons Code and a new Contract Model (CEP) established a carried interest for SMH in exploration. In 2012, the first CEP and related Joint Operating Agreements (JOAs) were signed, cementing SMH's presence in exploration activities. By decree no. 2014-001 of 6 January 2014, SMH became SMHPM (Société Mauritanienne des Hydrocarbures et du Patrimoine Minier) following the extension of its missions to hydrocarbons downstream and the mining portfolio. The company's project portfolio grew to include the Grand Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) gas field, discovered in 2015 by Kosmos Energy and straddling the maritime border between Mauritania and Senegal, with estimated reserves of 25 to 50 trillion cubic feet of natural gas; the Taoudéni Basin, an onshore exploration area whose exploration work dates back to the 1970s; and Block C8, operated in partnership with BP since December 2016. SMH works alongside major international energy companies including BP, Kosmos Energy, TotalEnergies and ExxonMobil. Its stated vision is to become an integrated national oil company of high technical excellence, guaranteeing Mauritania's energy independence and supporting sustainable economic development.

• 2016

  Block C8 operated in partnership with BP since December 2016.

• 2015

  Grand Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) gas field discovered by Kosmos Energy, straddling the Mauritania–Senegal maritime border.

• 2014

  By decree no. 2014-001 of 6 January 2014, SMH becomes SMHPM following the extension of its missions to hydrocarbons downstream and the mining portfolio.

• 2012

  Signing of the first CEP and related Joint Operating Agreements (JOAs), making SMH present in exploration.

• 2010

  New Raw Hydrocarbons Code and new Contract Model (CEP) establish a carried interest for SMH in exploration.

• 2009

  SMH acquires the legal status of a national company; a new Mining Code establishes a state participation right in mining exploitations.

• 2005

  SMH created as a public establishment with industrial and commercial character by decree no. 2005-106 of 7 November 2005, holding a 12% participation in the Chinguetti field.

• 2004

  Creation of the GPC project for monitoring the Chinguetti field development — the embryo of SMH.

Mauritania's integrated national oil and gas company, representing state interests across the hydrocarbon value chain and aspiring to high technical excellence.

• Chinguetti field participation

  Mauritania's first oil field, discovered in 2001; SMH held a 12% participation and it was the starting point of the company's creation.

• Grand Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) gas field

  Cross-border gas field discovered in 2015 by Kosmos Energy, with estimated reserves of 25–50 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

• Taoudéni Basin

  Promising onshore exploration area in Mauritania's interior, with exploration work dating back to the 1970s.

• Block C8

  Exploration block operated in partnership with BP since December 2016.

1. 1Home - SMHsmh.mr
2. 2History and Organization - SMHsmh.mr
3. 3Mauritanian Hydrocarbons Company - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Société mauritanienne des hydrocarbures - Wikipédiafr.wikipedia.org