Liberia has launched a new offshore licensing round offering 15 blocks in the Liberia and Harper basins as the West African country seeks to attract international investment in oil and gas exploration.
The Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRA) announced the 2026 Offshore Direct Negotiation Licensing Round on October 14 at African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 in Cape Town. Companies have until April 15, 2027, to submit letters of intent, according to the regulator’s announcement.
Liberia has yet to establish commercial oil production. The licensing round is intended to bring international companies into its offshore basins, where exploration prospects remain unproven.
Seismic Data Supports Exploration Efforts
The offering includes 12 blocks in the Liberia Basin and three in the Harper Basin. The acreage targets geological formations along the Atlantic margin, including Cretaceous structures and deepwater basin-floor fans.
The licensing round is supported by more than 80,000 kilometers of seismic data, including over 50,000 line-kilometers of two-dimensional (2D) surveys and 31,000 square kilometers of three-dimensional (3D) surveys. Additional information includes gravity, magnetic and well-log data.
Energy data company TGS has reprocessed 12,000 kilometers of 2D seismic data and 5,100 square kilometers of 3D data to improve subsurface imaging. These datasets are intended to help prospective investors assess geological structures and identify potential drilling targets.
However, the presence of prospective geological formations does not establish that commercially recoverable oil or gas resources exist. Exploration drilling will be needed to determine whether individual blocks contain viable deposits.
Liberia Seeks Long-Term Investment
Under the direct negotiation model, qualified companies can pursue individual blocks and negotiate proposed exploration programs. Applicants must demonstrate technical capabilities, financial strength and relevant offshore experience.
The process operates under Liberia’s 2014 Petroleum Exploration and Production Act, as amended in 2019. Successful prequalification remains valid for five years, allowing companies to establish their eligibility before pursuing specific opportunities.
LPRA officials have emphasized regulatory and fiscal predictability as factors in attracting investment. Robert Sonkarlay, the authority’s deputy director general for finance, said investors look beyond fiscal terms to the stability of the framework governing long-term commitments.
Liberian President Joseph Nyuma Boakai also expressed support for the initiative in a prerecorded address during the launch, according to the LPRA announcement.
Commercial Prospects Remain Uncertain
Liberia is seeking to attract companies to a frontier exploration market, where geological potential must still be tested through drilling and appraisal. Similarities between offshore geological systems in neighboring countries can inform exploration strategies, but they do not guarantee comparable discoveries.
The licensing round offers investors an opportunity to evaluate the available data and negotiate block-specific exploration terms. Whether this leads to drilling commitments will depend on companies’ assessments of geological prospects, costs, regulatory conditions and potential returns.
The next milestone is the April 15, 2027, deadline for letters of intent. The level of participation and the resulting negotiations will help show whether Liberia can turn its offshore exploration campaign into concrete investment commitments.
