TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia and Senegal are mulling cooperation between oil and gas private firms, the Indonesian Embassy in Dakar stated in a press statement received in Jakarta on Monday, March 20, 2017.

“Senegal sees Indonesia as a country with advanced offshore oil exploration technology and LNG processing,” said Mansur Pangeran, Indonesian Ambassador to Senegal.

Ambassador Mansyur met Senegalese Energy and Development of Renewable Energies Minister Thierno Alassane Sall in Dakar, Senegal, on Thursday, March 16.

“The meeting was aimed at exploring opportunities to cooperate in and promote the potential of each country in the procurement and processing of energy resources,” he said.

He said that the Senegalese government is expecting massive investment in the energy sector to meet the country's domestic energy demand of 500 MW per day.

“Senegal has also invited investors from neighboring countries to revamp its power distribution lines. Renewable energy, such as solar and the wind, will also be developed starting 2018,” the ambassador said.

Senegal has recently discovered an area in the northern part of the country that holds 500 million barrels of oil and gas reserves.

Minister Alassane in a meeting with the Ambassador Mansyur said that Senegal expects to work closely with Indonesia in the development of offshore refinery.

The cooperation, Mansyur said, will be carried out by state-owned enterprises and private firms of the two countries.

Senegal is a coastal West African nation with a rich French colonial culture and renowned for its natural tourism.

ANTARA