West Africa’s upstream oil and gas market has seen significant exploratory success over the years, with the region accounting for the largest contribution in discoveries across the African continent.
Over the past five years, Senegal, Mauritania, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire have been among the leading countries producing new discoveries, with 2022 set to bring a new wave of significant independent explorers.
BP
Over the past five years, BP has emerged as the most successful explorer in the region, totalling 1.7 billion barrels in the Orca and Yakaar discoveries off the coast of Mauritania and Senegal respectively.
Eni
With an active upstream presence across the continent, the Italian oil and gas explorer earns the title of drilling the most wells in West Africa (over 6 wells), with the majority of drilling occurring between 2017 and 2022.
Kosmos Energy
Since 2017, Kosmos has discovered just under a billion barrels. Having drilled nearly three wells, the company is among the leading explorers in the region, with activities in Mauritania, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea and Sao Tome and Principe.
Petrosen
Senegal’s national oil company has not only driven development across the domestic upstream sector, but has also ensured that West African NOCs have been at the forefront of exploration since 2017.
Springfield E&P
In 2019, the company discovered 1.5 billion barrels of oil and 0.7 tcf of natural gas offshore Ghana, becoming the first independent company in Ghana to drill in deep water and find hydrocarbons.
16/08/2022
