Sierra Leone launches new offshore initiative
The West African nation taps two-year-old UK firm in an attempt to spur interest in its undeveloped upstream
Sierra Leone has signed a reconnaissance permit agreement (RPA) with London-listed independent Wildcat Petroleum to identify offshore “blocks which have the potential to yield commercially viable oil finds”. The RPA covers 20 deepwater blocks covering 24km² and grants Wildcat the “non-exclusive right” to conduct studies for six months. The agreement does not give Wildcat any pre-emptive rights over acreage, but the company will negotiate for petroleum exploration and production licences, “if block(s) with the potential of containing commercially viable oil discoveries are identified”. The London-listed firm’s “top priority is to secure a stake in a producing asset”, but the Sierra Leone expl
Also in this section
10 December 2024
Sector at economic and strategic crossroads, but clear path ahead for midstream additions
30 November 2024
Decades of turmoil have left Iraq’s vast energy potential underutilised, but renewed investment and strategic reforms are transforming it into a key player in the region
29 November 2024
The country's fifth and sixth oil and gas bid rounds have attracted a range of new players with gas as well as oil ambitions—and there’s a seismic shift in the contracting process
28 November 2024
Iraq is charting a new path for its indigenous resources and its youth, hoping to electrify the future with a mix of reforms and modernisation to fuel growth