MONROVIA, LIBERIA — Liberia’s latest offshore petroleum licensing campaign has raised questions following the reduction of previously advertised oil exploration blocks from 29 to 15 during the October 2026 roadshow in Cape Town, South Africa.
The Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRA), led by Director General Marilyn T. Logan, launched its 2026 Offshore Direct Negotiation Licensing Round on October 14 during African Energy Week, offering 15 offshore blocks across the Liberia and Harper basins.
The offering comprises 12 blocks in the Liberia Basin and three in the Harper Basin.
WHERE DID THE OTHER 14 BLOCKS GO?
Existing petroleum agreements explain part of the reduction.
TotalEnergies holds four offshore blocks — LB-6, LB-11, LB-17 and LB-29 — while Atlas Oranto Petroleum holds another four: LB-15, LB-16, LB-22 and LB-24.
Together, the companies account for eight blocks outside the new 15-block offering.
However, the LPRA needs to explain the status of the remaining six blocks and publish a complete breakdown of all 29 previously advertised blocks.
The reduction does not mean Liberia has lost 14 producing oil wells. It concerns the number of exploration blocks available under the latest licensing round.
ROADSHOW WITHOUT CLEAR INVESTMENT FIGURES?
The Cape Town event was intended to attract international petroleum companies and investors to Liberia’s offshore sector.
President Joseph Boakai assured prospective investors of government support, while the LPRA promoted Liberia’s geological potential and available offshore acreage.
The regulator says the country’s petroleum data includes more than 50,000 kilometres of 2D seismic information and approximately 31,000 square kilometres of 3D seismic data.
However, public information has yet to establish how many qualified companies formally expressed interest in the 15 blocks or how much new investment was secured directly from the roadshow.
For Liberia, attracting investors is important, but actual exploration and drilling commitments matter more than international presentations.
APRIL 15, 2027: THE NEXT TEST
Prospective investors have until April 15, 2027, to submit letters of intent for the available blocks.
The LPRA must ensure that successful applicants demonstrate financial capacity, technical experience and credible exploration programmes.
It must also enforce contractual obligations to prevent companies from holding valuable offshore acreage without meaningful exploration activities.
LIBERIA NEEDS DRILLING, NOT JUST ROADSHOWS
The success of Liberia’s petroleum campaign should not be measured by international conferences, investor photographs or expressions of interest.
It should be measured by enforceable agreements, actual capital investment, exploration activities and commercially viable oil discoveries.
Liberians have waited for years to see the country’s offshore petroleum potential translate into tangible economic benefits.
The LPRA must therefore explain the 29-to-15-block transition and provide verifiable information about the outcome of its South African roadshow.
The central question remains: Will Liberia finally move from promoting its offshore oil potential to delivering actual exploration and commercial discoveries for its people?
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