• Senegal plans to revise its 2019 petroleum law to cover fiscal rules, contracts, and local content obligations.
• Energy Minister Birame Souleye Diop said reforms aim to strengthen transparency and redistribute oil and gas revenues.
• The government will unveil details of the reform at the MSGBC 2025 conference in Dakar in December.

Senegal’s hydrocarbon activities currently fall under Law No. 2019-03, which governs the upstream oil and gas sector. Downstream activities, including transport and distribution, still rely on older regulations.

On Thursday, October 2, Energy and Mines Minister Birame Souleye Diop announced on the sidelines of African Energy Week that the government is considering a reform of its oil and gas regulations.

Diop said the reform will strengthen transparency, adapt the legal framework to new industry challenges, and improve revenue distribution. He explained that the revision will specifically address fiscal terms, contractual obligations, and local content implementation rules. He added that the reform will also cover the electricity sector to create a framework favorable to industrialization.

Since Senegal’s major oil and gas discoveries at Greater Tortue Ahmeyim and Sangomar, authorities have described these projects as key steps in the country’s energy development. Officials say they aim to capitalize on these resources while avoiding the imbalances seen in other producing nations.

Diop stressed that the reform seeks to maintain Senegal’s attractiveness for foreign investors while ensuring citizens receive greater benefits from resource exploitation.

The government has not yet finalized the reform details. It plans to present the main outlines at the MSGBC 2025 conference, which Senegal will host in Dakar on December 9–10.

This article was initially published in French by Abdel-Latif Boureima

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum