DAKAR, Sept 10 – Senegal plans to offer 109 oil and gas blocks to local and international investors as the West African country seeks to expand exploration and build greater domestic participation across its energy industry.
Energy Minister El Hadji Abdourahmane Diouf said Senegal has 113 oil and gas blocks, of which only four are currently under contract. The government intends to place the remaining 109 blocks on the market through an investor roadshow.
“The remaining 109 will be put on the market,” Diouf told a television channel on Wednesday.
The planned offering represents a significant expansion of opportunities for exploration companies and investors seeking exposure to Senegal’s petroleum sector. By opening most of its available blocks to the market, the government is positioning new exploration acreage as a potential source of investment and future production.
The initiative is also tied to Dakar’s broader objective of developing stronger domestic capacity in the energy industry. Diouf said President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s administration wants Senegalese companies to play a larger role in the sector rather than leaving the development of the country’s oil and gas resources primarily to international operators.
“The president’s plan is to create local leaders in the energy, oil and gas sectors,” Diouf said.
The planned roadshow will therefore target both domestic and foreign investors, potentially creating opportunities for partnerships between Senegalese companies and international energy firms as the country seeks to build out its petroleum industry.
