The Gambia National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) has called on regional National Oil Companies (NOCs) to collaborate more closely in accelerating onshore exploration across West Africa’s MSGBC Basin during a panel discussion at the MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2025 conference in Dakar on December 9. The appeal highlights significant data gaps and de-risking challenges facing The Gambia’s onshore acreage as neighboring countries advance major offshore discoveries.
Cany Jobe, Director of Exploration and Production at GNPC, explained during the Leveraging Frontier Discoveries for Growth in West Africa panel that partnerships with regional NOCs including Petrosen could help address critical information deficiencies. Onshore is where we are lagging, and we do not have much data there, she stated while emphasizing the need for regional collaboration.
Petrosen, Senegal’s national oil company, highlighted that less than 10 percent of the MSGBC Basin has been explored and stressed ongoing efforts to expand offshore activities into deeper waters requiring additional three dimensional seismic data. Abu Mbengue, Director of Exploration and Promotion at Petrosen, expressed confidence based on basin similarities with other world class hydrocarbon systems globally.
Mauritania’s national oil company, Société Mauritanienne des Hydrocarbures (SMH), shared its record of 11 oil and gas discoveries from more than 80 wells drilled onshore and offshore. Hammadi EL Hadji, Exploration Director at SMH, described the MSGBC basin as one of the greatest basins in the world with immense potential regarding oil and gas. The NOC has accumulated over 100,000 square kilometers of three dimensional seismic data to support future exploration activities.
Energy intelligence firm TGS announced new seismic vessel deployments in West Africa, introducing low frequency data and advanced satellite, cloud and storage technologies to enhance geological data richness. Robert Holden, Vice President for Africa, Mediterranean and Middle East at TGS, stated that seismic is the company’s business and operations are very much built on the multi client model.
Guinea-Bissau is experiencing renewed offshore exploration, with international companies like Apus Energy pursuing shallow water licenses including Sinapa and Esperança. Michael Mosesyan, Drilling Manager at Apus Energy, noted that while results have yet to match Senegal’s Sangomar oilfield volumes, potential discoveries are being evaluated for future development following a well drilled in 2024.
Building on the Sangomar oilfield in Senegal and the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project along the Senegal-Mauritania maritime border, offshore investment in the MSGBC Basin continues rising. Mariama Ndao, Deputy Country Manager for Senegal at bp, confirmed that Phase 2 of the GTA project is being planned with a target startup in 2027. The company is laser focused in its mission to deliver the next chapter of the GTA project, she said.
The MSGBC Basin, encompassing Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea-Conakry, has emerged as one of Africa’s most promising hydrocarbon frontiers following major discoveries in recent years. Senegal’s Sangomar field began operations in June 2024 with capacity of 100,000 barrels per day, providing proof of concept for large scale oil projects in the region. The Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project achieved first gas in April 2025, marking another transformative milestone.
The Gambia lies south of the Sangomar Basin and shares geological characteristics with neighboring productive areas, yet exploration remains at early stages compared with Senegal and Mauritania. Technical work has been completed in Blocks A1, A2, A4 and A5, with 4,000 square kilometers of three dimensional seismic data supporting play mapping at the Sangomar adjacent Blocks A4 and A1. Shelf carbonate and fluvial deltaic clastic plays have been interpreted to boast potential high quality reservoir rocks, effective seals and access to mature organic source beds.
During a presentation at the conference, Jobe emphasized that with world class discoveries in close proximity, The Gambia is ready to get its turn in the light. She highlighted that significant billion barrel in place oil discoveries made in adjacent acreages provide an excellent operating environment for exploration activities.
GNPC has revealed opportunities in the country’s onshore area, where geological and geophysical studies have identified leads with structural and stratigraphic traps in the Paleozoic and Mesozoic formations. Eight offshore blocks and two onshore blocks remain available for investment, with approximately 80 percent of offshore data coverage already acquired, de-risking exploration and offering investors faster entry timelines.
The corporation has called on investment partners to participate in ongoing upstream exploration operations and service delivery operations in storage depot development and the country’s network of retail stations. Siddy Mendy, Petroleum Officer at The Gambia’s Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, highlighted very attractive fiscal terms and extensive data coverage as key investment incentives.
To incentivize foreign investment, government is strengthening its regulatory framework to enhance investor confidence. The Gambia is finalizing a new Petroleum Exploration, Development & Production Bill designed to foster a transparent, efficient and investor friendly operating environment. The upcoming bill will complement additional reforms to upstream legislation aimed at creating more conducive conditions for foreign investors.
Regional collaboration has become a cornerstone of GNPC’s development strategy, with the corporation establishing close ties with West African oil and gas producers in recent months. In June 2025, The Gambia signed 14 bilateral agreements with Mauritania aimed at strengthening cooperation in energy, hydrocarbons, mining, water and trade fields.
A knowledge exchange partnership with the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation has been established, whereby Gambian staff received training in Ghana. Senior officials from Ghana also conducted a lecture series in 2024 in The Gambia supporting the company’s 2024/2025 work program. An agreement was also signed in 2023 with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company involving geological studies, seismic data analysis and potential drilling.
The company completed regional and detailed subsurface studies within the broader A2 and A5 blocks as part of its ongoing exploration strategy. GNPC also revealed it has assumed control of a new onshore block and is preparing a strategy to advance exploration and partnerships, according to announcements made during the conference.
Jobe received the Female Pioneer in the Industry Award during the MSGBC 2025 Gala Dinner and Awards ceremony on December 9, recognizing her exceptional leadership, technical expertise and long standing contribution to Africa’s upstream sector. She has emerged as one of West Africa’s most influential geoscience and exploration leaders, championing frontier basin development, driving collaboration initiatives and advancing opportunities for women across the energy value chain.
The MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2025 conference concluded on December 10 in Dakar after three days of government announcements, investor presentations and industry discussions. Senegal announced it will begin construction of a national gas pipeline network before the end of 2025 to expand energy access, power generation and industrial growth across West Africa. Woodside Energy confirmed a major production milestone at Senegal’s Sangomar field, surpassing 50 million barrels of oil produced since startup.
The conference took place at the Centre International de Conférences Abdou Diouf under the theme Energy, Petroleum and Mining in Africa: Synergy for Inclusive Economic Development. Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye opened the 2025 edition, setting an ambitious tone for regional integration, energy sovereignty and shared prosperity across West Africa’s premier energy basin.
Ibrahima Noba, Director of Exploration and Production at Senegal’s Ministry of Energy, Petroleum and Mines, stated in the closing ceremony that the capital came alive with debates, exchanges and meetings that shaped a shared vision for the energy future of the region and continent. He announced with optimism that the next edition of MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power will once again take place in Dakar from December 1 to 3, 2026.
The MSGBC region’s combination of underexplored onshore acreage and expanding offshore projects highlights both the opportunity and urgency for regional collaboration among NOCs, according to GNPC and industry participants. The appeal for partnerships comes as The Gambia seeks to leverage its strategic position within the basin and geological similarities with producing neighbors to attract investment and accelerate hydrocarbon development.
