Senegal opens more than 100 oil and gas blocks to international investors

On Sep 11, 2026

Key takeaways

Senegal is opening up more than 100 oil and gas blocks to attract international investors.
Woodside Energy is launching the country’s first deepwater oil project.
Joint ventures with Mauritania are accelerating liquefied natural gas exports.

Senegal is preparing to open up 109 oil and gas blocks to international investors, as currently only 4 of the total 113 blocks are under contract. According to Minister of Energy and Petroleum El Hadji Abdourahmane Diouf, the government plans to bring those remaining areas to market in order to increase local control within the energy sector.

Oil production

The country’s petroleum sector has received a substantial boost over the past ten years thanks to various offshore discoveries. This progress culminated in 2024 with the launch of the country’s very first oil project, which contributed to unprecedented economic growth.

Sangomar project

Specifically, the Australian company Woodside Energy began oil production at the Sangomar project in June 2024. The deepwater operation uses a floating production, storage and offloading system (FPSO), which can process up to 100,000 barrels of oil per day and is designed to be expanded in the future. Thierno Ly of state-owned company Petrosen emphasised that this milestone heralds a transformative period for the Senegalese economy and its people.

Expansion into natural gas

To further diversify its energy exports, Senegal has entered into a partnership with Mauritania for a joint gas venture. Led by BP, the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project successfully exported its first cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) one year after the launch of the first oil project.

The first phase of this venture is expected to yield around 2.3 million tonnes of LNG annually, with operations projected to last for more than two decades.

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