Against this backdrop, the “Basin Architecture & Subsurface Potential” technical session at the upcoming MSGBC Oil, gas & Power 2026 conference and exhibition in Dakar will examine how emerging hotspots, Atlantic-margin analogues and advanced subsurface technologies are converging to unlock the basin’s next exploration phase.

Emerging Hotspots Define the Basin’s Next Growth Cycle

Ultra-deepwater Mauritania and Senegal remain the basin’s core, anchored by the GTA project operated by bp and Kosmos Energy, which achieved first gas in December 2024 and exported 18 LNG cargoes in 2025.

Nearby, Woodside Energy’s Sangomar field produced 36.1 million barrels in 2025, with Phase 2 targeting approximately 33 additional subsea wells tied back to a 100,000-barrel-per-day FPSO, extending plateau production capacity.

Frontier momentum is shifting south, with Chevron holding operatorship in Guinea-Bissau’s Blocks 5B and 6B and companies pursuing farm-ins in The Gambia’s A2 and A5 blocks, where prospective resources are estimated at up to 1.2 billion barrels.

Atlantic Margin Analogues Strengthen Geological Confidence

Exploration strategies increasingly rely on proven Atlantic analogues. MSGBC’s Cretaceous deepwater turbidites resemble Guyana-Suriname discoveries such as Liza and Whiptail, sharing slope-floor fan systems and prolific Cenomanian-Turonian source rock intervals.

The 550 km Palaeo-Shelf Edge Carbonate Trend extending south of Senegal’s Sangomar field mirrors Brazil’s Santos Basin pre-salt systems, where carbonate platforms adjacent to deep source kitchens deliver strong reservoir quality and structural trapping efficiency.

Additional parallels include Jubilee-style mid-Cretaceous fan pinch-outs in Ghana and Suriname’s Demerara High, enabling operators to map reservoir distribution, trap integrity and migration pathways across undrilled MSGBC acreage with greater predictive confidence.

Technology and Data Integration Reshape Frontier Risk

Advanced seismic processing is materially improving subsurface imaging across complex salt and gas-prone environments. Full-Waveform Inversion resolves velocity distortions while Tilt Transverse Isotropy tomography – applied in datasets such as TGS’s Jaan 3D survey – delivers high-fidelity depth models.

Amplitude Versus Offset inversion and integrated 3D petroleum systems modeling now combine seismic, thermal history and geochemical data, confirming active Jurassic and mid-Cretaceous source kitchens and aligning trap formation with hydrocarbon migration timing.

Operators are further reducing risk through multibeam seabed mapping, SeaSeep validation and regional seismic “mega-merges” exceeding 100,000 km2. Combined with strategic farm-in models, these approaches are enabling capital-efficient entry into high-impact ultra-deepwater exploration plays.

Ultimately, these developments converge in the “Basin Architecture & Subsurface Potential” technical session at MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2026, where operators, geoscientists and financiers are set to assess how integrated analogues, seismic innovation and phase de-risking strategies are reshaping investment decisions. The session will focus on how basin-scale architecture interpretation, coupled with next-generation imaging and petroleum systems modeling, is enabling a more confident transition from frontier acreage to drill-ready prospects across the MSGBC margin.

Explore opportunities, foster partnerships and stay at the forefront of the MSGBC region’s oil, gas and power sector. Visit www.msgbcoilgaspower.com to secure your participation at the MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2026 conference. To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.