First oil production from Senegal’s Sangomar oilfield is expected to commence within days, according to the national oil company, Petrosen.
Representing Senegal’s first offshore oil development, the project aims to produce 100,000 barrels per day (bpd).
Speaking at the Invest in African Energy Forum in Paris, Petrosen’s Director General, Thierno Seydou Ly, stated, “We started development in 2020, and today, we are around 97% complete.
We expect first oil in the coming days. This will be a significant milestone for Senegal and will transform the industry in our country.
Our objective is to produce 100,000 bpd from this project. In a few years, we also plan to monetize the associated gas for the local market, producing LPG and gas-to-power.”
The Sangomar development is part of a series of advancing projects in Senegal. The first phase of the offshore Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) project, which is set to produce 2.3 million tons per annum (mtpa) of LNG, is also expected to come online this year.
“We began the development of GTA in 2019, and we expect first gas by Q3/Q4, 2024. The project is designed to produce LNG for export, with provisions for domestic use to support our gas-to-power strategy. Our goal is to produce 10 mtpa by 2030/2032,” Ly added.
As Senegal’s oil and gas sector develops, the country is poised to gain strategic insights from regional neighbors like Equatorial Guinea, which has successfully developed both domestic and regional natural gas networks.
Equatorial Guinea’s Gas Mega Hub initiative monetizes stranded gas resources from regional offshore basins.
However, the country is currently experiencing a decline in output due to mature fields, underscoring the need for marginal field development and ongoing exploration.
To address this decline, Trident Energy, which operates 11 producing assets in Equatorial Guinea, is prioritizing exploration with a drilling campaign set to begin on Block G in the coming weeks.
Block G includes the Ceiba Field and Okume Complex, with the campaign featuring two infill wells on these assets.
Trident Energy CEO Jean Michel-Jacoulot stated, “We always find ways to create potential reserves – last year we extended the Block G license to 2040. In exchange, we committed to a deepwater drilling campaign starting next month.”
Michel-Jacoulot suggested that Senegal could learn from this approach, emphasizing the importance of exploration to mitigate potential production declines in the future.
Regional collaboration is expected to strengthen Senegal’s oil and gas market and benefit neighboring countries like Guinea-Conakry, whose industry is still in its early stages.
Mohamed Cherif, Sales Director of Guinea-Conakry’s NOC Société Nationale des Pétroles, commented, “Guinea has always welcomed investors, and the enthusiasm for petroleum research has been incredible.
The country is open to energy collaboration, and why not collaborate with Senegal? We have an attractive petroleum code, favorable fiscal terms, and we will organize a bid round for 27 blocks in the coming months.”
