Eni Secures Offshore Exploration Licence in Gambia, Expanding West African Energy Footprint
Italian energy major Eni has officially entered Gambia’s upstream oil and gas sector after securing an offshore exploration licence for Block A1, marking a significant expansion of its operations across West Africa’s emerging energy frontier.
The company signed a petroleum exploration, development, and production licence agreement with the Government of The Gambia on June 5.
The agreement was signed by the country’s Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Nani Juwara.
Block A1 covers approximately 1,300 square kilometres of deepwater offshore acreage, located in water depths ranging between 1,250 metres and 3,300 metres.
The licence grants Eni the rights to explore for hydrocarbons in one of the region’s most technically challenging offshore environments.
Eni stated that the block lies within the Atlantic Margin, a geological province where several significant hydrocarbon discoveries have already been made.
The company described the licence as part of its broader strategy to maintain a diversified exploration portfolio spanning established, emerging, and frontier basins.
For The Gambia, the agreement represents a renewed opportunity to evaluate its offshore petroleum potential after years of stalled exploration activity in the block.
A Block With a Complex Exploration History
Block A1 has experienced multiple unsuccessful exploration attempts over the past decade.
The licence was previously held by African Petroleum Corporation, before being revoked by the Gambian government in 2017 over alleged non-fulfilment of contractual obligations.
BP later acquired rights to the block but relinquished its interest in 2021 without drilling an exploration well.
The company subsequently reached a settlement with the Gambian authorities regarding outstanding licence commitments.
Following BP’s exit, the government reopened the acreage to competitive bidding and ultimately selected Eni as the preferred operator.
Officials have emphasized that the signing does not indicate a discovery, but rather the start of a new exploration phase aimed at determining whether commercially viable oil and gas resources exist offshore.
Cany Jobe, Director-General of the Gambia Petroleum Commission, described the agreement as the beginning of a renewed effort to assess the country’s offshore energy potential.
Growing Interest in the MSGBC Basin
Eni’s entry into Gambia comes amid rising international interest in the MSGBC Basin, which spans Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Guinea.
The basin has become one of Africa’s most closely watched offshore exploration regions following several major discoveries and project developments in recent years.
Neighbouring Senegal began oil production from the Sangomar field in 2024, while the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim liquefied natural gas project, located on the maritime border between Senegal and Mauritania, shipped its first LNG cargo in 2025.
These developments have strengthened confidence in the region’s broader geological potential, although experts caution that success in one area does not guarantee similar outcomes elsewhere.
Eni’s Expanding African Portfolio
The Gambian licence aligns with Eni’s broader expansion strategy across Africa, where the company remains one of the continent’s most active international energy investors.
Eni operates across North, West, and Central Africa and reported hydrocarbon production of approximately 1.73 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2025.
The company has been involved in several major African discoveries, including Egypt’s Zohr gas field and Côte d’Ivoire’s Baleine project.
In recent years, it has increasingly focused on frontier exploration opportunities along West Africa’s Atlantic coast, including offshore agreements signed in Sierra Leone in 2025.
Exploration Still at an Early Stage
Despite the strategic significance of the agreement, any potential production remains years away. Eni must first conduct seismic studies, exploration analysis, and drilling evaluations to determine whether Block A1 contains commercially viable resources.
Deepwater exploration is capital-intensive and technically complex, with no guarantee of successful discovery.
Nevertheless, Eni’s entry into The Gambia represents a strong vote of confidence in the country’s offshore potential and adds momentum to efforts to determine whether the geological systems responsible for recent discoveries in neighbouring countries extend into Gambian waters.
