The Gambia’s national oil company, Gambia National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), has called on regional National Oil Companies (NOCs) to collaborate more closely in accelerating onshore exploration across West Africa’s MSGBC Basin.
The appeal was made by Cany Jobe, GNPC Director of Exploration and Production, during the Leveraging Frontier Discoveries for Growth in West Africa panel at the MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2025 conference in Dakar on December 9.
“We are looking for partners to help us de-risk the onshore and bolster regional collaboration with NOCs, including Petrosen,” Jobe said. “Onshore is where we are lagging, and we do not have much data there.”
Petrosen, Senegal’s NOC, highlighted that less than 10% of the MSGBC Basin has been explored and stressed ongoing efforts to expand offshore activities into deeper waters. Abu Mbengue, Director of Exploration and Promotion at Petrosen, said, “We see a lot of similarity in our basin with other world-class basins throughout the world, which gives us a lot of confidence.”
Mauritania’s NOC, Société Mauritanienne des Hydrocarbures (SMH), shared its record of 11 oil and gas discoveries from more than 80 wells onshore and offshore. Hammadi EL Hadji, Exploration Director at SMH, said, “The MSGBC basin is one of the greatest basins in the world and we have immense potential regarding oil and gas.” The NOC has now amassed over 100,000 km² of 3D seismic data to support future exploration.
Energy intelligence firm TGS announced new seismic vessel deployments in West Africa, introducing low-frequency data and advanced satellite, cloud, and storage technologies to enhance geological data richness. Robert Holden, TGS Vice President – Africa, Mediterranean and Middle East, said, “Seismic is our business and we are very much built in the multi-client model.”
Elsewhere in the MSGBC region, Guinea-Bissau is experiencing renewed offshore exploration, with international companies like Apus Energy pursuing shallow-water licenses, including Sinapa and Esperança. Michael Mosesyan, Apus Energy Drilling Manager, noted that while results have yet to match Senegal’s Sangomar oilfield, potential discoveries are being evaluated for future development.
Building on the Sangomar oilfield in Senegal and the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) LNG project along the Senegal-Mauritania maritime border, offshore investment in the MSGBC Basin continues to rise. Mariama Ndao, Deputy Country Manager-Senegal at bp, confirmed that Phase 2 of the GTA project is being planned with a target start-up in 2027. “We are laser-focused on delivering the next chapter of the GTA project,” Ndao said.
The MSGBC region’s combination of underexplored onshore acreage and expanding offshore projects highlights both the opportunity and urgency for regional collaboration among NOCs, according to GNPC and industry participants.
