The Australian company Woodside, operator of the Sangomar offshore field, has announced that it has “extracted the first oil. The field, operated in conjunction with Petrosen (the national hydrocarbons company), will eventually target production of 100,000 barrels per day, with an estimated lifespan of 25 years. 

Since the arrival of the FPSO Léopold Sedar Senghor (floating production unit) on the Sangomar field on February 10, a great deal of effort has been made by all parties involved to ensure that the first barrel will be available before the end of the first half of 2024.

Located 100 km south of Dakar, in the Rufisque, Sangomar and Sangomar Deep (Rssd) blocks, the Sangomar field contains both oil and gas, and covers a total area of 7,490 km2 in the Senegalese part of the MSGBC basin. 

Woodside, responsible for the development of the Sangomar field, is the operator of the Rssd joint venture, with an 82% stake, while the remaining 18% is held by Senegal’s state oil company, Petrosen. With this first barrel, Senegal joins the ranks of African oil-producing countries.