Office of Conservation

Senegal oil and gas official visits Louisiana

L to R: Conservation's Ross, Senegal's Medou, and Kumar.

DNR Office of Conservation officials welcomed Joseph  O. Medou of Senegal to the agency during his travels to the U.S. this spring.

On April 15, 2011,  Deputy Asst. Commissioner of Conservation Gary Ross and Geological Division Director M.B. Kumar met with Medou at their office headquarters in Baton Rouge. Medou is Senegal’s Exploration and Production Director for the Ministry of Energy and national oil company, known as PETROSEN.

He arrived in Louisiana after spending time in Houston at the American Association of Petroleum Geologists 2011 Annual Convention and Expo. He also attended meetings in Lafayette, and visited with representatives of the La. Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association.

The information exchange helps broaden understanding of how the countries operate and do business.  Both sides look to opportunities for energy project partnerships in the future.

Commissioner of Conservation Jim Welsh said he welcomes the chance to share the expertise of the regulatory arm of the industry for our visitors. Senegal, located in West Africa, has some geology much like Louisiana.

Len Robinson of Robinson International in Baton Rouge serves as the Republic of Senegal’s honorary Consul, and arranged for the Texas and Louisiana briefings.