Liberia opened a licence negotiation campaign for fifteen offshore oil blocks on Wednesday, 14 October, in Cape Town, according to the Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRA) and the organisers of African Energy Week. Interested companies have until 15 April 2027 to submit their letter of intent.
The offer covers twelve blocks in the Liberia basin and three in the Harper basin, the organiser said. It aims to attract capital and expertise for exploration, ahead of possible development of the fields in the event of a commercially viable discovery.
Rights will be negotiated directly with prequalified companies. The official invitation rules out a competitive bidding process. The LPRA is to assess in particular the technical capabilities of applicants, their exploration programmes and the proposed fiscal terms.
Companies seeking several blocks will have to demonstrate their financial and technical capacity to carry out all the planned work. Each block must be the subject of a separate production sharing contract, although several contracts may be negotiated together.
Prequalification is open on a rolling basis and remains valid for five years. To be admissible in this campaign, prequalification files and proposals must reach the authority no later than 15 April 2027. The official timetable, however, sets no closing date for contract negotiations.