41 Planning for the ESIA’s first round of public consultations in both countries continues with these meetings expected to begin in mid-2017. MULTI-COUNTRY INFRASTRUCTURE SURVEY Kosmos completed a pre-front end engineering study in October 2016 evaluating several options for developing the Tortue gas field. The options evaluated included the use of FLNG processing vessels to liquefy and store gas so it can be offloaded to an LNG carrier and shipped to market. It was discovered that long frequency wave swells which predominately affect the Senegal and Mauritania coastline from the deepwater development area to the coastline limit the ability to offload the liquefied gas from the FLNG processing vessel to the LNG carrier. A sizeable breakwater wall closer to shore is therefore needed to shield the FLNG vessels and safely offload to the LNG carrier. Building such a breakwater will require a large amount of raw materials (up to 3 million tons of rock and 200,000 cubic meters of concrete material depending on the final design selected) and considerable logistics support. Since the feasibility of economically sourcing raw materials and establishing construction support in-country was a source of uncertainty at this stage of the project development, Kosmos sent a multi-disciplinary team to Mauritania and Senegal to conduct an infrastructure assessment, which included tours of ports and quarries, as well as visits to cement factories, railroads, and trucking companies, to assess their ability to support the Tortue construction project by providing raw materials and logistics. The team also visited with many local and national government stakeholders in the mining, port, and transportation sectors to solicit their input and support. In addition to identifying technically feasible options, the team also carefully considered potential local impacts to communities – both positive and negative. Once the technically viable options were identified by the team, each were evaluated against HSES, social, and market influences to help differentiate those that would best benefit local communities. CROSS-BORDER CAPACITY BUILDING AND SOCIAL INVESTMENTS As part of its commitment to investing in people to create a vibrant, productive, and well- managed petroleum industry, Kosmos has provided financial and practical support for a master’s degree program at the Université des Sciences, de Technologie et de Médecine (USTM) in Nouakchott, Mauritania and the Université Gaston Berger (UGB) in Saint Louis, Senegal. Each year, approximately 30 students from Mauritania, Senegal, and other African nations are trained in subjects related to managing the impacts of the extractives sector. The master’s degree program encourages cross-border cooperation between Mauritania and Senegal, and supports the development of a cadre of graduates who could work for government agencies, national oil companies, oil and gas operators, environmental or social consultancies, or non-governmental organizations. Kosmos and BP have also offered to support the Senegalese government in the creation of the National Institute for Petroleum and Gas to provide higher education and training to develop the leaders, managers, and operators of Senegal’s new petroleum industry. In 2017, Kosmos and BP expect to undertake activities such as: •  A long-term jobs and opportunity assessment to inform curricula and goals for the proposed institute’s future growth •  Technical English language training for a range of stakeholders in the academic system, government, suppliers and our workforce •  Leadership, management and technical training for the first cohort of a national workforce •  Partnerships with international universities and training providers •  A dedicated project manager to ensure high-quality collaboration and progress. In addition to the government, we are closely coordinating with other oil and gas investors in Senegal on this initiative to leverage partnerships and ensure strong industry collaboration. Kosmos and BP are also committed to supporting capacity building in Mauritania. At this stage, we are working with the government to assess Mauritania’s specific needs as a country with a history of oil and gas production, and develop a plan for addressing them. NEXT STEPS While we have made considerable progress since the gas discoveries were first announced, a lot of work remains to be done. The Working Group continues to meet regularly to discuss the commercial, legal, and technical framework for the joint project, with the goal of signing a formal intergovernmental cooperation agreement later this year. With BP as development operator, we have committed to a full set of activities in 2017, including engineering and a drill stem test, which should enable a final investment decision by 2018, with first gas expected in 2021. Success will require continued cooperation and a significant investment from Kosmos, BP, and the two national oil companies.