Senegal, which has recently entered the era of commercial oil production, is now turning its attention to expanding its first offshore field, Sangomar. According to recent statements by Senegalese officials, the country is actively evaluating options to increase production beyond the symbolic threshold of 100,000 barrels per day (bpd), marking a crucial step in its quest for regional energy leadership.
Ibrahima Noba, Director of Exploration at the Senegalese Ministry of Energy, Petroleum and Mines, presented these ambitions during a round table organised by Technip Energies on the sidelines of African Energy Week 2025 in Cape Town. "Sangomar is not only a milestone, but also a springboard for Senegal to become a global player in the oil industry," he said. He added: "We are working with our partner to examine what can be done in the next phases. Based on these assessments, we will see how we can increase production beyond 100,000 bpd and how to monetise the associated gas opportunities to supply the country with gas."
Commissioned in 2024, the Sangomar field represents a historic milestone for Senegal, which aspires to transform its resources into a driver of sustainable economic growth. Developed in partnership with Woodside Energy as operator and Société des Pétroles du Sénégal (Petrosen), the offshore project off Dakar has already demonstrated its potential. In the second quarter of 2025, production reached 9.1 million barrels, confirming a gradual and encouraging ramp-up.
Sangomar is part of a broader dynamic in the Mauritania-Senegal-Gambia-Conakry (MSGBC) basin region, where investment in hydrocarbons and renewable energies is growing. The Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) project, another regional flagship involving liquefied natural gas (LNG), illustrates this successful inter-industry collaboration. Launched in 2024 and having reached its commercial start date in 2025 under a 20-year contract, GTA has already exported 11 cargoes of condensate, with a twelfth currently underway.
Ismail Sid Ahmed, Vice President and Country Manager of Kosmos Energy in Mauritania, welcomed these developments: "We have exported 11 cargoes and are preparing to export another in the coming days. This is a major milestone for the country and the region, highlighting collaboration across the industry. Now is the time to optimise what we have and scale up."
For his part, Dominique Gadelle, Vice President in charge of early engagement for gas at Technip Energies, highlighted the technical complexity overcome on GTA: "It was a very complex project due to the underwater elements, but in the end, we succeeded. We are now members of the LNG exporters' club."
Beyond increasing oil production, discussions are focusing on monetising the gas associated with Sangomar, a key resource for meeting national energy needs and reducing dependence on imports. Ongoing assessments could pave the way for new phases of development, including infrastructure for gas processing and distribution.
The MSGBC region also has ambitions for a green transition. Mauritania is aiming for an annual production of 12.5 million tonnes of green hydrogen by 2035 and carbon neutrality by 2050. Karl Fredrik Staubo, CEO of Golar LNG, expressed his optimism: "This is just the beginning of the 20-year contract. We plan to order our fourth FLNG vessel, which we hope to deploy in the MSGBC basin. We want to partner with anyone who has three trillion cubic feet (tcf) or more."
In Senegal, these prospects could generate substantial economic benefits: job creation, technology transfers and tax revenues to finance infrastructure projects. However, challenges remain, such as managing underwater aspects and striking a balance between hydrocarbon exploitation and energy transition.
While negotiations for other projects are progressing, such as in Gambia, where agreements with three companies are expected to be finalised by the end of 2025, Sangomar embodies the hope of an emerging West Africa as an energy powerhouse. The upcoming announcements resulting from these assessments could redraw the map of African exports.
