AEW 2026 to Host Liberia’s 2026 Licensing Round, Bringing Offshore Opportunities to Africa’s Premier Energy Event

Liberia’s Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRA) will showcase the country’s 2026 Direct Negotiation Petroleum Licensing Round at the African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 Conference and Exhibition. The round will bring the country’s frontier offshore acreage and investment framework before international oil companies, independents and energy investors during Africa’s premier energy event, which takes place October 12–16 in Cape Town.

The announcement follows LPRA Director General Marilyn T. Logan’s August 28 opening of prequalification, allowing companies to establish eligibility before submitting expressions of interest. Liberia previously previewed its acreage strategy at an investor day in Houston on August 19, providing strategic insight into available acreage.  

The 29-block offshore grid spans the Liberia and Harper basins and is supported by an extensive subsurface data package. LPRA’s technical portfolio includes more than 50,000 line-km of 2D seismic, over 31,000 km2 of 3D seismic, frontier imaging and multi-client technical studies developed with global data specialists including TGS and Core Laboratories.

The available acreage combines Liberia Basin blocks LB-1, LB-2, LB-3, LB-7, LB-12, LB-13 and LB-14 with Harper Basin blocks LB-18, LB-19, LB-20, LB-21, LB-23, LB-25 and LB-28. Geological targets range from Cretaceous-to-Tertiary sedimentary sequences and structural closures to deepwater basin-floor fans and syn-rift reservoirs.

The licensing system follows a six-stage direct negotiation process under Liberia’s 2014 Petroleum Exploration and Production Act, amended in 2019: announcement, prequalification, expressions of interest, selection for Production Sharing Contracts (PSC), negotiations and executed PSCs. Applicants are assessed on technical capability, financial strength and offshore experience, with successful prequalification remaining valid for five years.

Existing commitments have reduced the immediately available inventory from the broader offshore grid. TotalEnergies holds LB-6, LB-11, LB-17 and LB-29, covering approximately 12,700 km2, while Atlas Oranto Petroleum holds LB-15, LB-16, LB-22 and LB-24; PetroQuest holds LB-32, alongside RL-003 covering LB-26, LB-30 and LB-31.

The remaining acreage is positioned within geological systems comparable with major discoveries across Ghana, Ivory Coast and the Guyana-Suriname basins. TGS-backed data access gives prospective entrants greater visibility before committing exploration capital, while the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL) offshore mapping portal provides block boundaries and well-log locations alongside the broader seismic data package.

Investor interest in the country’s offshore basins is already emerging ahead of the formal launch. On September 22, Australian independent Bounty Oil & Gas agreed to acquire 100% of PetroQuest Liberia Deep Water, gaining exposure to deepwater acreage in Liberia. PetroQuest already holds an exclusive letter of engagement with NOCAL to negotiate a Production Sharing Contract for Block LB-32 in the Harper Basin, with Bounty Oil & Gas’ recent transaction providing a fresh indication of corporate interest in Liberia’s deepwater frontier.

“Liberia is putting its frontier offshore resources firmly on the global investment map,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber. “This licensing round creates a clear opportunity for companies seeking new exploration frontiers, supported by stronger data and a transparent framework.”

With prequalification underway and the formal launch targeted for this year’s edition, AEW 2026 will provide a focal point for Liberia’s next upstream investment cycle. Frontier deepwater acreage, extensive seismic coverage, flexible work-program negotiations and emerging operator activity gives investors a defined pathway from technical evaluation and expressions of interest through PSC negotiations and execution.