Gambia Awards Offshore Block to Eni in a Bid to Unlock Hydrocarbon Potential

Italian energy company Eni has entered The Gambia’s upstream oil and gas sector after securing an offshore exploration licence for Block A1, marking the company’s first investment in the country’s petroleum industry.

The agreement, signed on 5 June with the Gambian government, grants Eni exploration, development and production rights over a deepwater block covering approximately 1,300 square kilometres. Located in water depths ranging from 1,250 to 3,300 metres, the acreage lies within the Atlantic Margin, a region that has attracted growing industry interest following a series of major hydrocarbon discoveries.

The licence represents a renewed effort to assess Gambia’s offshore resource potential after previous operators failed to advance exploration activities. Block A1 was formerly held by African Petroleum Corporation before its licence was revoked in 2017 over unmet contractual obligations. BP later acquired the block but exited in 2021 without drilling an exploration well.

Following BP’s departure, the Gambian government reopened the acreage for bidding and subsequently selected Eni as the preferred operator. Officials have stressed that the agreement does not indicate a hydrocarbon discovery, but rather initiates a new phase of exploration aimed at determining whether commercially viable oil and gas resources exist offshore.

According to Cany Jobe, Director General of the Gambia Petroleum Commission, the licence marks an important step in evaluating the country’s offshore petroleum potential and attracting future investment.
Eni’s arrival comes as interest in the wider MSGBC Basin continues to grow. Spanning Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea, the basin has emerged as one of Africa’s most promising offshore energy regions. Senegal began production from the Sangomar oil field in 2024, while the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project, shared with Mauritania, exported its first liquefied natural gas cargo in 2025.

The Gambian licence also aligns with Eni’s broader African growth strategy. The company remains one of the continent’s largest international energy investors, with operations across North, West and Central Africa. It has delivered major discoveries including Egypt’s Zohr gas field and Côte d’Ivoire’s Baleine development, while expanding exploration activities in frontier markets such as Sierra Leone.

Despite the optimism surrounding the agreement, commercial production remains uncertain. Eni must complete geological studies and evaluate drilling prospects before determining whether recoverable hydrocarbons are present. Nevertheless, the investment signals growing confidence in Gambia’s offshore potential and the wider prospects of the MSGBC Basin.