Petroleum Directorate of Sierra Leone (PDSL), a Sierra Leonean regulatory agency, has signed a reconnaissance agreement with Shel that permits the Dutch oil major to conduct advanced geological and geophysical surveys across multiple offshore blocks.
According to PDSL, the reconnaissance permit agreement covers an area of approximately 20,600 square kilometres, including basin modelling and petroleum systems analysis, providing a data-driven framework for technical evaluation and potential future participation in licensing opportunities.
“Our strategy is deliberately focused on de-risking the basin through high-quality data, attracting credible global players and accelerating the pathway towards exploration drilling,” Foday Mansaray, PDSL director general, said in the statement.
Shell said the company routinely deals with governments through non-binding agreements to access data and assess potential opportunities, noting that the agreement does not signal any commitment to proceed and any further steps would depend on regulatory processes and due diligence, among others.
The permit programme is expected to enhance understanding of Sierra Leone’s deepwater opportunities. PDSL signed a similar agreement with Eni in October last year.
