en.Wedoany.com Reported - Eni has strengthened its position in the Mauritania-Senegal-Gambia-Guinea Bissau-Guinea (MSGBC) frontier zone by signing two major offshore agreements in Guinea and Gambia, securing basin-scale acreage in two of West Africa's least explored oil and gas provinces.
Gambia's Minister of Petroleum, Energy and Mines, Nani Juwara, signed a license agreement on June 5, granting Eni the right to explore Block A1, located on the Atlantic margin. The agreement covers approximately 1,300 square kilometers of deepwater area, with water depths ranging from 1,250 to 3,000 meters, and is considered one of the country's most prospective remaining offshore assets. Before any drilling decisions are made, Eni will conduct geological studies, seismic data evaluation, environmental assessments, and prospect maturation studies.
Compared to neighboring Senegal, which has drilled over 140 wells, only a limited number of offshore wells have been drilled in Gambian waters. The Gambia Petroleum Commission estimates that modern 2D and 3D seismic data now covers approximately 80% of the country's offshore territory, providing better subsurface information for investors. Several open blocks remain available for licensing, including some where prospects are considered geologically analogous to discoveries offshore Senegal. Cany Jobe, Director General of the Gambia Petroleum Commission, told Prospect that Eni's entry is a strong vote of confidence in Gambia's offshore potential and investment environment reforms. The government has recently awarded additional exploration licenses, launched its first petroleum testing laboratory, and expanded industry regulatory initiatives.
In neighboring Guinea, Eni signed an agreement on June 3, securing exploration rights for 15 deepwater blocks covering 49,089 square kilometers of frontier offshore area. Guinea has developed a digital petroleum cadastre through its national oil company SONAP, expanded geological data access, and pursued international quality standards. Guinea has also strengthened transparency initiatives, including achieving Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative validation in 2026. Bachir Camara, Deputy Minister of Energy, Water and Hydrocarbons of Guinea, told Prospect that to achieve industrialization locally, what is produced must be transformed, indicating the country's commitment to advancing oil and gas exploration. These reforms, combined with investment protection, fiscal incentives, and a more structured regulatory framework, help reduce investor concerns and create conditions for major operators like Eni to commit to large-scale offshore studies.
Eni's expansion signals increased confidence in frontier exploration, but long-term success will depend on whether Guinea and Gambia can translate early momentum into commercially viable projects through stable fiscal terms and effective regulation. Nearby LNG and export development projects offer potential commercialization pathways for future discoveries, and as activity in the MSGBC basin accelerates, the focus shifts from exploration potential to which markets can transform frontier acreage into long-term production.
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