The partnership will focus on the deepwater fan play in the Harper Basin, where an 18‑month technical program – including seismic reprocessing and seabed studies – will help identify and de‑risk drillable prospects as the companies position themselves for potential production sharing contracts.

Under the terms of the agreement, TotalEnergies holds a 65% participating interest in a new reconnaissance license covering roughly 8,924 km² along the West Africa Transform Margin, with BluEnergies holding the remaining 35%. The work program will blend modern seismic imaging and seabed data collection to refine prospect definitions and strengthen the basin’s exploration case, with results expected to feed into further licensing discussions.

The development follows a series of upstream milestones in Liberia’s petroleum sector. In September 2025, TotalEnergies secured four PSCs covering approximately 12,700 km² across Blocks LB‑6, LB‑11, LB‑17 and LB‑29, marking the first substantive upstream awards in more than a decade and signaling the country’s re‑entry into the global exploration arena. Director‑General Marilyn T. Logan of the Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority described the PSCs as a “vote of confidence” in Liberia’s reforms and its potential as an emerging hydrocarbon province.

The combination of reconnaissance activity in the Harper Basin and the earlier PSC awards underscores a broader shift in how international oil majors are viewing Liberia. For years, the country’s offshore remained largely dormant despite geological indications of hydrocarbon potential. The return of a major integrated energy company such as TotalEnergies – with deepwater expertise honed across Africa and beyond – reflects growing confidence in both the technical promise of Liberia’s offshore basins and the regulatory progress that has accompanied recent licensing rounds.

Against this backdrop, Liberia will take center stage in an Executive Country Dialogue at the Invest in African Energy (IAE) Forum in Paris, scheduled for April 22–23, 2026. With a strong national delegation expected, the spotlight session will showcase the country’s evolving upstream landscape to investors, energy companies and financiers, amplifying Liberia’s narrative of reform‑led investment, exploration potential and strategic positioning within West Africa’s frontier basins.

This resurgence of upstream activity aligns with broader regional momentum across West Africa, where neighboring jurisdictions are advancing licensing rounds, frontier projects and cross‑border initiatives. Strategically located between Ivory Coast to the east and Senegal to the northwest, Liberia sits within a dynamic exploration corridor that is increasingly attracting global operators in search of high‑impact frontier opportunities.

Looking ahead, Liberia’s upstream sector is set for an active period. If the ongoing reconnaissance work identifies promising prospects, the next phase would involve formal PSC applications, followed by seismic acquisition and drilling campaigns – milestones that draw industry attention and mobilize service companies, financiers and infrastructure developers. These developments would not only mark the next chapter in Liberia’s exploration story but also support local capacity building and economic diversification. For international investors and industry players seeking early entry into a frontier market with strengthened regulatory frameworks and updated seismic data, Liberia in 2026 is a story to watch.

IAE 2026 is an exclusive forum designed to connect African energy markets with global investors, serving as a key platform for deal-making in the lead-up to African Energy Week. Scheduled for April 22–23, 2026, in Paris, the event will provide delegates with two days of in-depth engagement with industry experts, project developers, investors and policymakers. For more information, visit www.invest-africa-energy.com. To sponsor or register as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com