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Shell has signed a reconnaissance permit agreement with the Government of Sierra Leone, allowing the oil major to conduct advanced geological and geophysical surveys across multiple offshore blocks, the Petroleum Directorate of Sierra Leone (PDSL) announced on Wednesday.
The agreement covers an area of approximately 20,600 square kilometres and includes basin modelling and petroleum systems analysis. The programme is expected to enhance understanding of Sierra Leone’s deepwater hydrocarbon potential and provide a data-driven framework for technical evaluation and potential future participation in licensing opportunities.
The deal was signed on 22nd April at an energy event in Paris by Thomas Praeger, Shell’s exploration manager for global new entries, and Foday Mansaray, Director General of Sierra Leone’s Petroleum Directorate.
According to the agreement, the permit covers 18 exploration blocks, some of them in ultra-deep water. Several of the blocks – including G-114, G-133 and G-112 – neighbour five offshore blocks previously secured by Italian energy giant Eni in November 2025.
President Julius Maada Bio described the agreement as a defining moment in Sierra Leone’s journey to responsibly unlock the value of its natural resources.
“It sends a strong and credible signal to the global investment community … that Sierra Leone is open for business, underpinned by transparency, stability, and strong governance,” the President said in a statement.
Foday Mansaray, PDSL Director General, said the country’s strategy is deliberately focused on de-risking the basin through high-quality data, attracting credible global players, and accelerating the pathway towards exploration drilling.
A Shell spokesperson said the company routinely engages with governments through non-binding agreements to access data and assess potential opportunities. However, the spokesperson emphasised that such engagements do not constitute a commitment to proceed.
“Any future steps would be subject to internal governance, regulatory processes and due diligence,” the spokesperson said.
Sierra Leone does not currently produce any oil or gas but is hoping to become a West African exploration hotspot, following major discoveries in nearby Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Senegal that have turned those countries into exporters in recent years.
The country has historically hosted eight wells and four non-commercial discoveries dating back to the 1980s. However, the coronavirus pandemic, the Ebola epidemic, energy transition narratives, and challenging deepwater economics have constrained drilling.
Government estimates put Sierra Leone’s oil resources at 44 billion barrels, with half of that considered recoverable. The country’s crude is described as light and sweet, comparable to Nigeria’s Qua Iboe export grade.
The agreement with Shell comes just five months after Eni signed its own exploration deal in November 2025, marking growing international interest in Sierra Leone’s emerging hydrocarbons sector.
