Liberia will launch its 2026 offshore direct negotiation licensing round in the fourth quarter of 2026, with the Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRA) using a Houston investor event to outline acreage opportunities, regulatory terms and data supporting the next exploration cycle.
The strategy was presented in Houston during Liberia Investor Day, organized in partnership with Energy Capital & Power, where LPRA Director General Marilyn Logan outlined the authority’s mandate, licensing framework and approach to attracting companies with different levels of tactical readiness.
“Frontier exploration requires agreements that can work over time,” Logan said, adding that the process would give companies already familiar with Liberia a route to advance quickly while allowing others time to obtain data and complete technical evaluations.
The system is grounded in the 2014 Petroleum Exploration and Production Act and 2019 amendments. Agreements require joint execution with the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, reinforcing fiscal oversight and regulatory separation.
Liberia enters the campaign after eight deepwater PSCs were awarded and ratified in 2025, generating more than $27 million in signature bonuses and $14.6 million in surface rentals. TotalEnergies is advancing work across LB-06, LB-11, LB-17 and LB-29, while Oranto Petroleum is progressing programs across LB-15, LB-16, LB-22 and LB-24.
Special Envoy for U.S. Trade and Investments for Liberia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Isaac E. Taggart Jr. emphasized Liberia’s focus on attracting serious investors and strategic partners to develop its petroleum sector. He said the country is seeking to move “from potential to execution” through capital, technology, and long-term partnerships.
During the showcase, TGS announced it is designing data coverage of up to 44,800 km2 across the Liberia and Harper Basins for frontier imaging, spanning deep- and ultra-deep environments. Business Development Manager Johnny Chigbo said, “access to data is the key to unlocking prospectivity,” with wide-tow acquisition, long offsets and frontier-imaging technology supporting exploration decisions.
The portfolio includes more than 50,000 line-km of 2D seismic and 31,000 km2 of 3D data.
TGS Geoscience Director Henri Houllevigue said Liberia’s petroleum system was proven by Narina oil discoveries in Upper and Lower Cretaceous plays. The basin architecture includes Early Cretaceous syn-rift structures and late Cretaceous basin-floor fans, creating multiple exploration targets.
The showcase also featured presentations by Core Laboratories and KC Geoscience Consulting, adding shallow-water analysis. Core Laboratories Vice President Joe Ramoin said Liberia has “a lot of data to reduce the risk and uncertainty,” while Geoscience Advisor Karen Carlson said KC is targeting “missed exploration plays” in shallow-water areas that have seen little activity for more than 40 years. The data and technical work presented in Houston are expected to support investor evaluation ahead of the Q4 licensing round, strengthening Liberia’s case as companies assess its next offshore exploration opportunities.
