Liberia offers 29 offshore blocks in 2026 oil and gas licensing round

CAPE TOWN, Oct 14 (Reuters) — Liberia on Wednesday launched its 2026 oil and gas auction round, offering direct negotiations on 29 offshore blocks to try to attract international oil companies and boost exploration, its regulatory authority said. The West African country, which currently does not produce any oil, showcased its Liberia and Harper Basins at an energy conference in Cape Town During the last auction round in 2024, eight production sharing contracts were signed, with French oil major TotalEnergies awarded four blocks and Nigeria's Oranto Petroleum another four blocks In promotional material, the Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority said its Harper Basin was attracting attention due to similar geological properties found in the petroleum system of neighbouring Ivory Coast where Eni discovered its large Baleine and Calao fields (Reporting by Wendell Roelf; Editing by Alexander Winning) ((wendell.roelf@thomsonreuters.com; +27 21 461 3523;)