A delegation from Senegal’s national oil company, Petrosen E&P, will attend Caribbean Energy Week (CEW) 2026 in Suriname, signaling a push to deepen technical cooperation between two emerging offshore producers separated by the Atlantic but united by similar geological challenges.
The Senegalese team, including Ababacar Mbengue, Director of Promotion & Exploration; Frederic Arsène Boissy, Head of Promotion; and Mohamed Sonko, Databank Manager, is expected to engage Suriname’s state energy firm, Staatsolie, in discussions spanning seismic interpretation, exploration data management and field development planning.
The visit reflects growing recognition that Senegal’s experience in moving from offshore discoveries to production could offer valuable lessons to Suriname, which is accelerating activity in its own deepwater basin.
Senegal has become one of West Africa’s most closely watched offshore markets following major discoveries such as SNE-1 and FAN-1. Those finds laid the groundwork for the Sangomar oil field, now producing roughly 100,000 barrels per day, and the Yakaar-Teranga gas development. The country is also a partner in the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim liquefied natural gas project, a cross-border development with Mauritania that began gas exports last year.
For Suriname, which has intensified seismic campaigns and deepwater licensing in recent years, the transition from exploration success to sanctioned development remains a central priority. Staatsolie has advanced multi-client 3D seismic surveys offshore Saramacca and Coronie as part of its Open-Door Offering programme aimed at attracting international investors. Agreements such as the production sharing contract with Petronas in Block 66 and the commercial declaration of the Sloanea gas discovery in Block 52 underscore rising momentum.
Both Senegal’s MSGBC Basin and Suriname’s Guyana-Suriname Basin are considered hydrocarbon-rich but technically complex, requiring sophisticated basin modeling and subsurface evaluation to reduce exploration risk and manage reservoir uncertainty.
Caribbean Energy Week, scheduled for March 30 to April 1 in Paramaribo, will convene policymakers, investors, national oil companies and technical experts from across the region. Petrosen’s participation is expected to center on sharing practical experience in offshore project execution, regulatory alignment and capacity-building.
