Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – Africa-focused oil and gas explorer PetroNor E&P has relinquished its Block A4 exploration license in The Gambia after opting not to renew it at the end of a negotiation period with the Gambian government. The license expired in mid-November 2025, marking the end of the block’s exploration phase.

Block A4, reinstated to PetroNor in late 2020, sits within the same geological trend as Senegal’s offshore basins and the Sangomar field, whose reservoir structures are widely expected to extend into Gambian waters.

Despite this prospectivity, PetroNor said it could not progress to drilling without securing partners to share the significant costs and risks.

The decision aligns with signals the Norwegian-listed company gave in its third-quarter results earlier this year.

CEO Jens Pace said that an 18-month technical program, including seismic attribute analysis, had strengthened the case for hydrocarbons in the block. Optimism remained high, he noted, but PetroNor was not in a position to enter a drilling phase alone.

“We’re not sure that we would go into a drilling phase at 100%, but we are hopeful that there will be continued interest in joining us from others we are in discussion with,” Pace said at the time. He also highlighted that the license required drilling to begin by November 2025, a deadline the company ultimately failed to meet.

PetroNor held a 90% stake in Block A4, with the Gambian government owning the remaining 10%. With no binding commitments beyond ongoing discussions, the company confirmed in its latest update that it had concluded the exploration term and elected not to proceed further.

The relinquishment reopens the block for potential future bidders. Given its strategic location next to Senegal’s now-operational Sangomar development, industry observers expect The Gambia to attract renewed interest from companies seeking to explore the region’s cross-border offshore potential.