Senegal, Eni Agree to Study Offshore Oil and Gas Blocks

AFRICAN BUSINESS AND ECONOMYSeptember 17, 2026 at 7:51 PM UTC

TLDR

Senegal partners with Eni to study 5 offshore oil and gas blocks for potential exploration and investment.
Eni to finance and conduct geological and geophysical studies for blocks SN01M, SN02M, SN03M, SN07M, and SN40M.
Agreement aims to attract international energy companies for further exploration without immediate drilling commitment.

Senegal has signed an agreement with Italian energy company Eni to assess the oil and gas potential of 5 offshore blocks as the government seeks to restart exploration and attract investment into its sedimentary basin. The memorandum covers blocks SN01M, SN02M, SN03M, SN07M and SN40M.

Eni will finance the preliminary work and carry out geological and geophysical studies. The programme will include analysis of existing 2D and 3D seismic data, well information and other technical data to determine whether the blocks justify further exploration. The agreement does not itself grant Eni production rights or commit the company to drilling.

Senegal’s state-owned oil company Petrosen will take part in the work and is expected to have a role if the blocks move into further exploration or development. The agreement forms part of the government’s plan to bring more international energy companies into the upstream sector after Senegal became an oil and gas producer.

The government said this month that it plans to offer 109 oil and gas blocks to local and international investors. The new licensing push comes after production began at the Sangomar oil field in 2024 and at the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim gas project, which Senegal shares with Mauritania.

For Eni, the studies provide an early look at offshore acreage without an immediate drilling commitment. For Senegal, they provide technical work on blocks the government wants to market as it seeks new discoveries that could extend oil and gas production beyond projects already in operation.

Key Takeaways

The Eni agreement shows that Senegal is moving from bringing its first oil and gas projects into production to looking for the next generation of fields. Sangomar made Senegal an oil producer in June 2024, while the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project added LNG production around the end of that year. Those projects give the country production and export infrastructure, but oil and gas fields decline over time, which means new exploration is needed if Senegal wants the sector to remain a source of output and government revenue. The plan to offer 109 blocks shows the scale of that effort. The agreement with Eni is still at an early stage: technical studies may identify prospects, but commercial production would require exploration licences, drilling, discoveries, development plans and years of investment. Having Eni fund the initial studies limits Senegal’s upfront cost while adding another international company to its upstream pipeline. Petrosen’s involvement also gives the state company access to the technical work and any later development. The key question is whether the studies can turn existing geological data into drilling targets that companies are willing to finance.

Senegal