M A U R I TA N I A
10
External Affairs Manager Sidi Aly Moulaye Zeine meets with local
fishermen to discuss and answer questions about an upcoming
seismic survey offshore Mauritania.
Kosmos acquired approximately 6,175 line kilometers of two-dimensional seismic data and
10,300 square kilometers of three-dimensional seismic data offshore Mauritania in 2013.
First Steps in a Country with an
Emerging Oil and Gas Industry
When we began working in Mauritania
in 2013, Kosmos supplemented national requirements by developing its own
guidelines for seismic surveys based on
international best practices and specific
recommendations from the Joint Nature
Conservation Committee, an advisor to the
United Kingdom on national and international conservation. This productive collaboration resulted in heightened measures to
protect sea turtles and marine mammals.
Being a Good Neighbor
As in each country where we are in the seismic exploration phase, Kosmos engaged
in early outreach to fishing communities
near our offshore exploration acreage. We
met with local representatives as part of
an Environmental Impact Assessment to
introduce the company, highlight our commitment to doing things the right way, and
explain our planned seismic activities. We
met with, among others, the local Diawling
Park Authority, fisherman’s associations,
and local religious, economic and government leaders. Each meeting represented
an open invitation to continue dialogue on
our activities, as well as a commitment to
keep stakeholders informed of our progress and plans.
Developing a Social Investment Strategy
Upon establishing a country office to
oversee our operations, we completed an
assessment to identify social investment
opportunities and potential partners from
the community. Although we are still in the
early stages of exploration in Mauritania,
we participated in a few small projects and
committed to supporting at least one major initiative.
For instance, Kosmos recently supported a
Mauritanian Red Crescent initiative to provide the needy with food during Ramadan,
a period often marked by price increases
that can put basic items out of reach for
many families. Kosmos’ involvement ensured more than 3,000 people had food to
feed their families and our local employees
in Nouakchott, the capital, volunteered to
assist in the distribution.
Next Steps in Mauritania
In 2014, we hired a country manager to
oversee our operations. A local Mauritanian
with extensive experience in international
oil and gas exploration and a member of
the National EITI Steering Committee, he
will play a key role in strengthening our existing stakeholder relationships as we continue to gather and interpret seismic data
in advance of drilling an exploratory well.