LPRA to Highlight Liberia’s 2026 Offshore Licensing Round in Cape Town
Liberia will showcase its 2026 Offshore Direct Negotiation Licensing Round at African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 in Cape Town. Organized by Energy Capital & Power (ECP) in partnership with the […]
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At the upcoming African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 in Cape Town, Liberia is set to highlight its 2026 Offshore Direct Negotiation Licensing Round. Jointly arranged by Energy Capital & Power (ECP) and the Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRA), this investment promotion aims to introduce global energy firms to 16 offshore blocks, an expansive seismic dataset covering over 80,000 km², and a growing pipeline of international interest.
This showcase at Africa’s premier energy conference follows extensive ground work directed by Director General Marilyn T. Logan. Recent milestones include an August 19 investor symposium in Houston and the launch of the prequalification stage on August 28. Through prequalification, interested firms can confirm their financial and technical qualifications prior to submitting expressions of interest and beginning block negotiations.
Spanning both the Harper and Liberia basins, the offered offshore acreage includes deepwater basin-floor fans, Cretaceous targets, and structural traps. Geologically, these areas align with highly productive petroleum systems found across the broader Atlantic margin.
To assist potential bidders, the round offers a comprehensive subsurface technical suite featuring over 50,000 line-km of 2D seismic alongside more than 31,000 km2 of 3D seismic. Developed in partnership with Core Laboratories and TGS, the data package also incorporates gravity, magnetic, well-log, and multi-client survey datasets.
As part of these technical efforts, TGS applied Pre-Stack Depth Migration to reprocess 12,000 km of 2D seismic along with 5,100 km2 of 3D data selected from a broader 26,000-km2 volume. TGS’s library further contains over 24,000 km of legacy 2D data, delivering enhanced imaging crucial for exploration planning in this frontier territory.
Specific blocks up for negotiation in the Liberia Basin consist of LB-1, LB-2, LB-3, LB-7, LB-8, LB-12, LB-13, LB-14, LB-18, LB-19, LB-20, LB-21, and LB-23. Available opportunities in the Harper Basin feature LB-25, LB-28, and LB-33.
In adjacent developments, TotalEnergies maintains rights to blocks LB-6, LB-11, LB-17, and LB-29 (totaling roughly 12,700 km2), while Atlas Oranto Petroleum holds LB-15, LB-16, LB-22, and LB-24. PetroQuest holds rights connected to LB-32. Additionally, block set RL-003 (encompassing LB-26, LB-30, and LB-31) is subject to a separate study and application framework involving TotalEnergies and BluEnergies.
Demonstrating renewed commercial momentum ahead of AEW, Australian firm Bounty Oil & Gas announced an agreement on September 22 to acquire 100% of PetroQuest Liberia Deep Water. The acquired entity holds an exclusive engagement letter with the National Oil Company of Liberia to negotiate a Petroleum Sharing Contract (PSC) for block LB-32 in the Harper Basin.
The Harper Basin is drawing notable industry interest due to its structural continuity with neighboring offshore Ivory Coast, where major discoveries like Eni’s Calao and Baleine have validated the region’s vast hydrocarbon potential. Elsewhere along the margin, operators such as Murphy Oil and Petrobras continue to target similar Upper Cretaceous deepwater plays.
Liberia’s licensing framework utilizes a direct negotiation strategy, enabling vetted companies to advance tailored commercial and technical proposals. Operating under the 2014 Petroleum Exploration and Production Act (and its 2019 amendments), final PSCs require approval from both the LPRA and the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning. Evaluation criteria focus on applicant financial capability, technical qualifications, and deepwater operational expertise.
Because prequalification status remains valid for five years once granted, participating companies can secure early eligibility to act swiftly as specific offshore opportunities open.
The official event launch for the Liberia 2026 Offshore Direct Negotiation Licensing Round—managed by Energy Capital & Power—will take place on October 14 at AEW 2026 (The Orchid, CTICC 2). Details and inquiries can be found at https://lpra.gov.lr/liberia-2026-licensing-round/#enq.
