Madar (Nouakchott) - Liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from Mauritania reached about 603,000 tonnes in the third quarter of 2026 (July-September), up 16% year on year, or about 82,000 tonnes more, according to Energy Research Unit data published by the specialist platform Attaqa.
Exports did, however, fall by more than 9% compared with the second quarter, the same source said, and September recorded a slight 0.5% year-on-year decline, the first monthly year-on-year drop since exports began in early 2025.
China was the largest importer in the third quarter with about 152,000 tonnes in two cargoes, followed by Bangladesh (about 135,000 tonnes), Italy (about 122,000 tonnes) and Egypt (about 76,000 tonnes), with some 119,000 tonnes going to other countries.
From the start of the year to the end of September, exports reached about 1.97 million tonnes, compared with 823,000 tonnes in the same period of 2025, an increase of about 139%.
The cargoes come from the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) field shared by Mauritania and Senegal, via a floating production and liquefaction vessel with a current operating capacity of 2.5 million tonnes a year, according to the source.
Gas production is supporting Mauritania's GDP growth, which accounts for much of the fall in the public debt-to-GDP ratio over the past two years, according to IMF reports.
