Senegal has joined the ranks of oil-producing nations with Australian company Woodside Energy on Tuesday announcing the start of production in the West African country's first offshore project.
The floating facility has a storage capacity of 1.3 million barrels. At a depth of 780 metres, it contains both oil and gas and is expected to produce between 100,000 and 125,000 barrels per day.While Senegal's fossil fuel output is not expected to be as high as that of bigger producers such as Nigeria, there are hopes the oil and gas industry will bring billions of dollars in revenue to the country and contribute to transforming its economy.
"The start of extraction at the Sangomar field marks the beginning of a new era, not only for our country's industry and economy but especially for our people," said Petrosen managing director Thierno Ly.