Photo taken on Nov. 29, 2019 shows buildings in central Dakar, capital of Senegal.
Senegal is preparing one of the most ambitious licensing rounds in its history. Energy Minister Dr. El Hadji Abdourahmane Diouf has announced that the government will put 109 of the country's 113 oil and gas blocks up for grabs at an investor roadshow, targeting both local and international capital. Only four of Senegal's 113 blocks are currently under contract, meaning the remaining 109 will be put on the market, Diouf said in a late Wednesday television interview.
A Country Riding Its First Wave of Production
The timing is significant. Senegal has spent the last two years transitioning from a frontier exploration story into an active hydrocarbon producer. Offshore, the Sangomar field operated by Woodside Energy has been pumping crude since 2024, while the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) gas project, a cross-border venture with Mauritania led by Kosmos Energy and BP, has already begun exporting LNG. That combination of proven reserves and operating infrastructure gives Dakar a credibility boost heading into this new licensing push that a purely exploratory frontier wouldn't have.
Institutionally, the government has also reorganised to give hydrocarbons more dedicated attention. Diouf's portfolio was split off into a standalone Ministry of Energy and Petroleum in June 2026, separate from mines, signaling that Dakar wants a sharper policy focus as it scales up licensing activity.
