Liberia is bringing 15 offshore blocks back to market, with applications due by April 15, 2027. The opening follows a round launched in 2024 that resulted in eight production-sharing contracts signed by TotalEnergies and Oranto Petroleum. For Monrovia, the challenge extends beyond awarding licenses: it involves turning geological data and a contractual framework into actual exploration campaigns in a country where no commercial oil discovery has yet been confirmed.
A new application window through April 2027
The Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRA) launched a round covering 15 offshore blocks on October 14. Twelve are in the Liberia Basin and three in the Harper Basin, near the Ivorian border. Interested companies must submit a letter of intent no later than April 15, 2027. The process is based on direct negotiation: applicants can discuss contract terms and exploration programs specific to each block.
This flexibility may help align commitments with risk levels, water depth and available data. It also places greater responsibility on the regulator: the quality of the process will depend on transparent criteria, comparable offers and the ability to protect state interests in negotiations conducted separately.
The framework is based on the 2014 petroleum law and its 2019 amendments. The prequalification procedure, opened on August 28 and valid for five years, examines applicants’ financial and technical capabilities and offshore experience. Developers will then need to detail work plans, spending commitments and financing arrangements. Announcing the round therefore does not mean that every block will be awarded or that drilling will begin quickly.
The previous round provides an initial test
The 2024 round produced eight production-sharing contracts signed in 2025: four blocks were awarded to TotalEnergies and four to Oranto Petroleum. TotalEnergies’ assets cover around 12,700 km² in the southern Liberia Basin, and the company has planned a 3D seismic campaign. These contracts provide a benchmark for the new round, but do not predetermine geological results or expenditure ultimately carried out.
The 15 blocks do not represent the country’s entire offshore acreage. The African Energy Week organizer lists 29 offshore blocks. Eight are covered by the earlier contracts, while other developments are taking place in parallel: in September, Australia’s Bounty Oil announced the acquisition of PetroQuest Liberia Deep Water, which holds a letter of commitment on a Harper block. The market is therefore gradually taking shape through several access routes.
Abundant data, but no commercial discovery yet
To reduce geological uncertainty, LPRA highlights more than 50,000 line kilometers of 2D seismic data and over 31,000 km² of 3D data. Data provider TGS has reprocessed 12,000 kilometers of 2D data and 5,100 km² of 3D data to improve interpretation of subsurface structures. This work may help companies select targets and better anticipate operating costs.
It does not, however, replace drilling. No commercial discovery has been confirmed offshore Liberia. With oil companies allocating budgets among several basins, investor interest will depend on data quality, the cost of minimum commitments, contractual stability and possible markets. Competition with other Gulf of Guinea countries adds a regional dimension to Liberia’s strategy.
Turning awards into actual activity
Success will not be measured by the number of blocks announced or letters received. Concrete indicators will include selecting operators capable of financing work, meeting contractual obligations, carrying out seismic campaigns and, ultimately, making drilling decisions. Moving from prequalification to signing and then fieldwork can take time; geological results remain inherently uncertain.
Liberia can nevertheless use this round to clarify its priorities: providing reliable data, publishing award criteria, monitoring commitments and preparing the local skills needed for offshore operations. The next announced deadline is April 15, 2027. Until then, the quality of applications and the precision of proposed terms will indicate whether opening 15 blocks marks a new beginning or a revival of interest in potential still to be demonstrated. The state must also ensure that block-by-block negotiations do not undermine the clarity of its objectives for local content, public revenue and environmental protection.