By Sanna Camara

The Gambian government has announced over the weekend, that it has contracted a Norwegian Minning Company incorporated in The Gambia, Norwegian Gambia Mining Corporation, to carry out mapping and survey activities in the country’s seabed for mining opportunities.

In February, the country’s Director of Exploration and Production at the Gambia’s National Petouleum Corporation (GNPC), Cany Jobe, told a SAIPEC Summit in Lagos, Nigeria, that Gambia was in negotiations with partners and investors to explore various designated blocks in its deep-sea area of the Atlantic.

Gambia has onshore and offshore blocks available for exploration, said the Director. “We have about eight offshore blocks and two onshore blocks. Our data coverage is about 80 percent offshore and 5 percent onshore,” she added.

In a press release earlier this week, the Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mines of The Gambia announced that it has entered into a prospective mining license agreement with Norwegian Gambian Mining Company (NGMC), a subsidiary of European Eco Minerals (EEM) AS to explore deep-sea mining opportunities.

“We are looking for partners and investors to drill our wells so Gambia can as well become the next story in Africa’s oil and gas industry,” Ms Jobe disclosed, asserting that the country’s location around the North West Africa Atlantic margin (MSBC) basin positions it as an emerging hub spot for oil and gas activities.

“This collaboration marks a significant step in unlocking The Gambia’s potential in deep-sea mining while ensuring environmental sustainability through cutting-edge, eco-friendly technology,” said the statement from the Ministry. “Under the agreement, NGMC will conduct an extensive survey of The Gambia’s seabed at no risk or financial commitment from The Gambia Government,” it added.

As part of the exploration phase, NGMC will deploy two specialized survey vessels to map and analyze the seabed for mining opportunities that will utilize state-of-the-art technology.

The Ministry’s statement further states that a key highlight of the use of EEM’s proprietary and patented deep-sea mining technology in this project, which is designed to minimize environmental impact.

“This aligns with The Gambia’s commitment to sustainable development and responsible resource management,” it said, adding that it also represents a major milestone in The Gambia’s efforts to diversify its economy.

According to analysts, this arrangement means that The Gambia stands to benefit from critical geological data and potential future investment in deep-sea mining without having to allocate public funds to the initial exploration phase. It also signals “a modernized approach” to resource assessment, ensuring that any future extraction of minerals is guided by precise scientific analysis.