By Awa S Jallow
The Edward Francis Small Center for Rights and Justice (EFSCRJ) in collaboration with Gambian accounting expert Nuha Ceesay, has formally requested information from the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy regarding The Gambia’s oil and mineral resource activities.
The move comes amid growing concerns over what they described as the government’s “opacity and silence” on the nation’s extractive sector.
The request specifically targets oil exploration efforts in offshore blocks A2 and A5, as well as the apparent discovery of significant strategic mineral resources, including various types of clay and quartz sand.
According to EFSCRJ, substantial exploration and investment in offshore drilling, particularly by FAR Oil through FAR Gambia Ltd and its partner PETRONAS in late 2021, have yielded no formal communication from the government to the Gambian people. “Publicly available investor reports, however, suggest promising findings.
These reports indicate the detection of oil shows and an estimated 1.59 billion barrels of recoverable oil across four key prospects: Panthera, Jatto, Malo, and Jobo oil wells. The Panthera prospect is now considered a top exploration target.” the center said.
The Center also highlighted that the Ministry has proceeded with new licensing rounds without publicly disclosing lessons learned or potential windfalls from past and ongoing contracts.
The Center pointed out to the recent Ministry documents revealing significant non-oil natural resources. “These include over 10 million tons of plastic clay, more than 50 million tons of quartz sand with industrial potential, over 3 million tons of kaolinitic clay, and heavy mineral sands along the coast containing ilmenite, rutile, and zircon.” the center added.
In their request, submitted under the Access to Information Act 2021, EFSCRJ and Nuha Ceesay are seeking:
“Reports on offshore drilling activities by FAR Oil and PETRONAS.Findings from the Bambo-1 and Bambo-1ST1 drilling campaigns. Terms and beneficiaries of any farm-down, sale, or licensing negotiations for offshore Blocks A2 and A5.Reports on the exploration and development of non-oil mineral resources.
Reports on the enforcement of training, social development funds, and local content commitments under the 2022 Model PEPLA.The organizations emphasized the Ministry’s legal obligations under the Access to Information Act 2021, urging a response within 21 days.
They have also called on the National Assembly to conduct a special public inquiry into The Gambia’s extractive industries and urged political parties, civil society organizations, and the media to focus on the sector to ensure national interests are served.”.
