Institut Algerien du Petrole (IAP), a subsidiary of Algeria’s national oil company Sonatrach, has signed a training agreement with Senegal’s National Institute of Oil and Gas (INPG) to strengthen the technical and managerial capabilities of Senegal’s entire hydrocarbon sector. This partnership aims to support talent development within Petrosen as Senegal begins full-scale oil and gas production.
Following the first oil from Woodside’s Sangomar and the first gas from Cosmos Energy’s Greater Tortue Armaim, Senegal’s national oil company Petrosen has increased its stake in both projects from 10% to 18% and 20%. By increasing its stake in major oil and gas projects in Senegal, Petrosen will gain greater revenue and influence over business operations, while Algeria will be able to assist by training engineers in site development, guiding local content strategies and sharing technical and production data to optimize performance.
Can workforce excellence explain Algeria’s gas leadership in Africa?
Algeria, thanks not only to its reserves but also to its technology, has become Africa’s largest gas producer, producing 100 billion cubic meters of gas per year. Sonatrach, which provides the blueprint for Petrosen, is one of Africa’s largest energy employers with 200,000 employees across its group and subsidiaries. Algeria’s hydrocarbon framework requires Sonatrach to hold a minimum 51% stake in hydrocarbon contracts, ensuring majority participation in the country and enabling systematic knowledge transfer from international partners to local institutions and employees.
The company uses IAP to educate and upskill its engineers, technicians, supervisors, and managers, aligning its workforce with global standards. IAP’s program has improved operational safety. A study of Sonatrach’s pipeline operations in Skikda showed that an enhanced in-house training program reduced workplace accidents and improved overall safety performance. Reflecting its international standing, IAP won the OPEC Award for Best Energy Research Institute in July 2025, highlighting its technical expertise and role in driving innovation.
Building local content in Senegal through South-South cooperation
The IAP-INPG agreement reflects a South-South cooperation model centered on knowledge transfer in Africa’s hydrocarbon ecosystems. Rather than importing all its institutional frameworks from Europe or North America, Senegal draws on regional experience.
At last year’s MSGBC Oil, Gas and Power Conference and Exhibition, APPO Director-General Dr. Omar Farouq Ibrahim emphasized the need for a Pan-African partnership, saying, “We appeal to leaders to win Africa’s energy industry away from over-reliance on foreign companies,” adding, “There is a need to promote regional centers of excellence in the oil and gas industry.”
Petrosen is investing $100 million to take over its onshore fields, but IAP’s program, which leverages Algeria’s 60 years of experience in onshore fields like Hassi Messaoud, could help Senegal avoid early-stage operational mistakes by transferring best practices. Furthermore, data management is important in the self-operated sector. The IAP can transfer knowledge about petroleum databases, seismic interpretation, and reservoir modeling, enabling Petrocene to make informed drilling decisions.
This collaboration between IAP and INPG will not only strengthen Senegal’s workforce and operational capacity, but also set a precedent for regional economic and energy partnerships. As Senegal builds its pipeline network and modernizes its SAR refinery, similar cooperation could extend to midstream and downstream projects, leveraging Algeria’s advanced expertise.
