Sierra Leone has signed a reconnaissance permit agreement with oil major Shell, allowing the company to carry out advanced offshore surveys as the country seeks to unlock its deepwater hydrocarbon potential.
The deal, announced Wednesday by the Petroleum Directorate of Sierra Leone, covers an area of about 20,600 square kilometres across multiple offshore blocks.
Under the agreement, Shell will conduct geological and geophysical studies, including basin modelling and petroleum systems analysis, aimed at improving understanding of the country’s offshore resources.
Officials said the programme mirrors a similar agreement signed with Eni in October, part of a broader strategy to attract international energy firms by reducing exploration risks through better data.
“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,” said Foday Mansaray, director general of the Petroleum Directorate.
The reconnaissance permit does not grant drilling rights but provides a framework for technical evaluation and potential future participation in licensing rounds, the regulator said.
Shell confirmed the agreement, noting that such arrangements are standard practice for assessing opportunities in new or underexplored regions.
“These are non-binding agreements that allow access to data and early-stage evaluation,” a company spokesperson said, adding that any further steps would depend on regulatory approvals and internal due diligence.
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Sierra Leone, which has yet to become a commercial oil producer, has been stepping up efforts to position itself as an attractive frontier market for offshore exploration.
The West African nation shares geological similarities with hydrocarbon-rich basins along the Atlantic margin, where major discoveries have been made in recent years.
Authorities hope that expanding the availability of high-quality subsurface data will encourage more companies to bid in future licensing rounds and eventually lead to exploration drilling.
Industry analysts say such data acquisition programmes are a critical first step in reducing uncertainty and improving investor confidence in frontier basins.
“Without reliable geological data, companies are reluctant to commit significant capital to drilling,” one analyst said. “These surveys help build a clearer picture of the resource potential.”
However, they caution that the path from early-stage surveys to commercial production can take years and is fraught with uncertainty, particularly in regions that have yet to prove viable reserves.
For Sierra Leone, the agreement with Shell marks another step in a long-term strategy to develop its upstream petroleum sector, even as the global energy landscape shifts and investors increasingly weigh environmental and economic risks.
While the permit itself does not guarantee future investment, officials say it signals growing international interest in the country’s offshore prospects.
If successful, the initiative could eventually help diversify Sierra Leone’s economy, which remains heavily reliant on mining and agriculture, by adding hydrocarbons to its resource base.
For now, the focus remains on gathering the data needed to determine whether those ambitions can be realised.
