Africa-Press – Lesotho. Africa’s oil and gas bid rounds for 2024 and 2025 signal a renewed push to position the continent as a leading energy frontier. With abundant hydrocarbon reserves and a growing demand for reliable energy sources, these bid rounds offer opportunities for international investors and operators to participate in shaping Africa’s energy future. From mature basins in North and West Africa to under-explored regions in Southern Africa, the continent’s diverse offerings reflect its strategic focus on attracting capital, advancing exploration and addressing global energy needs.
North Africa
Libya plans to launch a bid round featuring 22 onshore and offshore exploration blocks in early 2025, as part of its strategy to boost oil output to two million barrels per day within five years. In Egypt, the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company launched an international bid round for 12 exploration blocks in the Mediterranean and Nile Delta regions, with submissions due by February 25, 2025. Meanwhile, Algeria’s first tender in a series of licensing rounds offers exploration and production opportunities for six onshore blocks, with contracts awarded through production sharing and participation agreements. Supported by extensive seismic data, the bid round was launched last month, with submissions due by April 15, 2025 and contracts awarded on May 29, 2025.
West Africa
Mauritania is expected to auction 15 offshore blocks, leveraging extensive seismic data and drawing interest from energy giants like bp and TotalEnergies. Liberia has joined the fray with the Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority launching its 2024 licensing round, offering 29 offshore blocks in the Liberia and Harper Basins. The country’s under-explored basins hold significant potential, with seismic surveys suggesting geological similarities to successful oil-producing regions. Nigeria also relaunched its bid round during the Invest in African Energy Forum in May this year, featuring 12 deep offshore and shallow water blocks available for bidding through January 2025.
Southern Africa
As part of its six-year licensing strategy, Angola’s ANPG is set to launch a Limited Public Tender in 2025, offering up to 10 offshore blocks in the Kwanza and Bengeula basins. Neighboring Namibia rolled out a new open-door licensing system in 2024 to address its backlog of applications, streamlining exploration opportunities for the country’s most promising basins. In October, Tanzania announced that it will begin the promotion of 24 oil and natural gas exploration blocks in March 2025, located in the Indian Ocean and Lake Tanganyika and serving as the country’s fifth licensing round. South Africa is also expected to open offshore and onshore acreage next year, including for shale gas blocks, following its change from an open-door system to competitive licensing rounds in 2023.
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