Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mines has clarified that The Gambia has not yet discovered any oil or gas resources, countering false claims by former president Yahya Jammeh suggesting that Senegal is siphoning Gambian oil near the Sangomar field.

In a press release, the ministry strongly rejected what it described as “inflammatory audios” circulating online, which alleged that Senegal is exploiting The Gambia’s petroleum resources.

Officials emphasized that exploration in The Gambia has not led to any oil discoveries to date.

“The Gambia has been exploring for oil for many years, but it has not yet made any discoveries,” the ministry said. “As a result, the country cannot move on to the next phase, which involves further evaluating the oil and gas resources, including their economic potential.”

The statement stressed that Senegal’s Sangomar field, where oil was discovered in 2014, is not tapping into any Gambian reserves. Although a well was drilled close to the border in 2021 to investigate potential cross-border deposits, no oil was found, and no further exploration wells have been drilled since.

“It is important to mention that the last well drilled by FAR (in 2021) was about 500 meters away from the border with Senegal. This was a deliberate attempt to see if we have oil around the areas Senegal discovered oil,” the ministry reveals.

The ministry argues that since there was no discovery, there was no need for a conversation with Senegal on joint resource development or sharing at the time and that “No exploration well has been drilled since then.”

The ministry noted that unlike Senegal, which has drilled 49 wells in the Sangomar area, The Gambia has drilled only five exploration wells in total. Petroleum officials, however, warned that seismic data and well data are confidential and too valuable to be shared publicly.

“These details must not be shared with anyone unless authorized parties and licensed partners, within the framework of signed data-sharing agreements for oil exploration and exploitation, request access,” the ministry explains.

In addition to encouraging investment in the field and restating their commitment to ongoing exploration efforts, the ministry urged the public to ignore false information.