Searching the cosmos for energy? No, searching Africa for oil and gas. Kosmos Energy is a US-based oil and gas exploration firm with about 30 producing wells off the coast of Ghana. The company also has leases on oil fields off the coasts of Cameroon and Morocco. It looks for underdeveloped or "misunderstood" energy assets off west Africa. Kosmos Energy owns about 31% and 18% of its two producing units off Ghana and 75% each in the other assets. The company was formed in 2003 by management before it was acquired by Hess Corporation. Kosmos went public in 2011. In 2016 BP agreed to acquire stakes in exploration blocks in Mauritania and Senegal from Kosmos for $916 million.