Eni Enters The Gambia’s Oil and Gas Sector with Offshore Block A1 Exploration Licence
Italian energy major Eni has officially entered The Gambia’s upstream oil and gas sector after signing a Petroleum Exploration, Development and Production Licence Agreement with the Gambian government for the offshore Block A1 concession.
The agreement was signed by The Gambia’s Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Nani Juwara, granting Eni the rights to explore the deepwater Block A1, which covers approximately 1,300 square kilometres offshore.
Located within the Atlantic Margin, Block A1 lies in water depths ranging from 1,250 to 3,300 metres.
The area has attracted growing interest from the oil and gas industry following a series of hydrocarbon discoveries across the broader Atlantic Margin in recent years.
The licence marks Eni’s first investment in The Gambia and further expands the company’s exploration footprint across West Africa, where it already has a significant presence in several countries.
According to Eni, the acquisition aligns with its strategy of maintaining a diversified exploration portfolio that balances opportunities across established producing regions, emerging hydrocarbon basins, and frontier exploration areas with high resource potential.
The company noted that Block A1 is situated in a relatively underexplored section of the Atlantic Margin that has demonstrated promising geological characteristics and hydrocarbon potential, making it an attractive target for future exploration activities.
The agreement is expected to support The Gambia’s efforts to attract international investment into its energy sector while advancing the country’s ambitions to unlock the potential of its offshore petroleum resources.
As exploration activities progress, the partnership between Eni and the Gambian government could play a significant role in determining the future of the country’s emerging oil and gas industry.
