Sierra Leone has announced plans to become West Africa’s newest oil and gas frontier. The country said it is carrying out its first offshore 3D seismic survey in more than a decade.
A senior official said the fresh licensing round is expected to launch by October
Director General of the Sierra Leone Petroleum Directorate, Foday Mansaray, said the country had partnered with UK based consultancy Geo Partners to commence a six week 3D seismic study offshore.
The survey, which began last month, is expected to generate new data aimed at reducing exploration risks and attracting global investors.
Speaking on Thursday, Mansaray said the seismic data is being reprocessed in collaboration with the Directorate’s multi client partner, TGS, and would help the government determine block availability and interest ahead of its sixth oil and gas licensing round later this year.
“The reprocessing of that data is happening now with our multi client partners, TGS, and we are hoping to get something to push to the market in October,” Mansaray said.
He noted that up to 60 offshore blocks could be offered in the upcoming round, although ultra deep offshore zones would likely remain reserved for direct negotiation.
The country concluded its fifth bid round in 2023.
Sierra Leone, situated along the Atlantic Ocean between regional producers such as Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal, holds an estimated 30 billion barrels of oil equivalent recoverable offshore, including the Vega Prospect previously identified by Anadarko Petroleum.
Although exploration in Sierra Leone dates back several years, commercial discoveries have remained elusive.
Past drilling campaigns by Anadarko and Russia’s Lukoil confirmed the presence of hydrocarbons but not in volumes viable for development.
Mansaray said the new survey could reshape perceptions of the basin’s prospectivity.
Over the past 18 months, global companies including SHELL, PETROBRAS, HESS, and MURPHY OIL have purchased seismic data from Sierra Leone, signalling renewed interest in the underexplored basin.
Drawing parallels with Namibia and Guyana two countries where major offshore discoveries transformed their energy fortunes Mansaray expressed optimism that Sierra Leone is nearing a similar turning point.
“I firmly believe that Sierra Leone is on the cusp of something big and we are going to be one of the next big and successful stories,” he said.
The West African country is banking on improved data quality, regional investor momentum, and supportive regulatory frameworks to attract new entrants.
The upcoming licensing round is expected to be formally launched once the current data is interpreted and finalized, possibly by October.
Meanwhile, the Petroleum Directorate is continuing its efforts to promote transparency and attract long term investors through structured data access and direct government engagement.
