Liberia to Launch Offshore Petroleum Licensing Round October 14

The Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority announced it will launch the 2026 offshore direct negotiation licensing round on October 14, 2026, at African Energy Week. The announcement took place during a Liberia Investor Day event in Houston, organized in partnership with Energy Capital & Power.

Operating under the 2014 Petroleum Exploration and Production Act and its 2019 amendments, the authority aims to transition the national petroleum sector from potential to execution. This initiative follows the 2025 ratification of eight deepwater production sharing contracts awarded to TotalEnergies and Oranto Petroleum, which provided more than $41 million in bonuses and rentals.

To facilitate the upcoming round, TGS is providing seismic data for the Liberia and Harper Basins. Director General Marilyn Logan stated that "Frontier exploration requires agreements that can work over time."