Malaysian state oil company Petronas has farmed in to the Total-operated Rufisque Deep block off Senegal, consolidating its position on the Mauritania-Senegambia-Guinea-Bissau-Conakry (MSGBC) basin, writes Barry Morgan.

Petronas will take a 30% stake in the Rufisque Deep, located on the West Africa Transform margin, with Total’s interest falling to 60%, while Senegal’s state-owned company Petrosen retains a 10% carried stake.

Petronas aims to expand its West Africa portfolio and has already farmed in to 40% of Far-operated Block A2 off neighbouring Gambia, where the drillship StenaMax is set to spud the Samo-1 wildcat before the end of 2018.

The Malaysian explorer also operates the Likuale block in Gabon’s ultra-deep, where it struck oil earlier this year.

The Rufisque Deep is currently the subject of international arbitration at the World Bank-funded International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes where African Petroleum is contesting the right of Senegal to revoke its operatorship and reallocate the acreage to Total.

Unfazed by the legal proceedings in the US, Petronas insists that the first exploration well will go down on Rufisque Deep next year, just as soon as 3D seismic data has been fully interpreted by all partners and a prospect identified and evaluated.

Meanwhile, African Petroleum is also under pressure over its claim to retain operatorship of Senegal’s Casamance Deep block, where it has also reserved rights and where several players are waiting in the wings to either step in or partner the company in a deal.

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Petronas expands in Senegal