CAPE TOWN, South Africa – Equatorial Guinea will make its highly anticipated announcement regarding the EG 2026 Licensing Round during African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies, scheduled to take place from September 29 to October 3 in Cape Town. The announcement is set for Monday, September 29, and will outline details of the new licensing round to be launched in 2026. This round forms part of the country’s national strategy to accelerate upstream growth, attract fresh investment, and unlock offshore exploration and production opportunities. The announcement will be made officially during a high-level session – “Equatorial Guinea’s New Exploration Drive” – at AEW 2025, led by Antonio Oburu Ondo, Minister of Hydrocarbons and Mining Development of Equatorial Guinea. In addition, the Ministry has arranged for Meeting Room Pod 4, CTICC 2 – First Floor, where detailed geological data will be presented to provide investors with insights into the structure, stratigraphy, and prospectivity of Equatorial Guinea’s offshore basins.
In preparation for EG 2026 Licensing Round, the Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Mining Development, in partnership with Perceptum (the Ministry’s advisory firm) and GeoexMCG, is undertaking a comprehensive reprocessing campaign covering more than 9,600 km² in the Rio Muni Basin. This initiative will deliver interpreters modern datasets and unparalleled insights into the prospectivity of these blocks through the application of Full Waveform Inversion (FWI), significantly enhancing imaging quality in the area. Furthermore, UK-based Searcher Seismic plans to acquire and reprocess 2D and 3D seismic data in underexplored areas. The objective is to equip potential investors with high-quality datasets, de-risk exploration, and unlock the full potential of the country’s offshore basins. By offering robust technical packages, the government seeks to enhance competitiveness, build investor confidence, and reinforce long-term energy security.
The EG 2026 Licensing Round announcement comes at a pivotal moment for Equatorial Guinea, amidst a series of recent developments underscoring renewed international interest in the country’s oil and gas sector.
In June 2025, ConocoPhillips exported its inaugural LNG cargo from the Punta Europa facility, advancing the country’s flagship Gas Mega Hub initiative. Following its acquisition of Marathon Oil in 2024, ConocoPhillips retains interests in the Alba Unit and Block D, cementing its long-term role in gas and liquids development. The company is also conducting an infill drilling campaign on Block Alba.
Independent operator Trident Energy continues to deliver robust results on Block G – home to the Ceiba and Okume fields – where it holds a 40.375% operated interest. At the end of 2024, the company brought its first infill well online and is driving subsea integrity initiatives through a digital twin solution developed with Canadian technology firm Enaimco. Kosmos Energy, with a 40% stake in Block G, recently completed an exploration drilling campaign and is reprocessing seismic data with advanced technology for future high-impact opportunities. Both companies are focused on sustaining production while reducing risks in future developments, strengthening Equatorial Guinea’s position as a leading upstream investment hub.
Meanwhile, Panoro Energy has expanded its footprint by signing a Production Sharing Contract (PSC) for Block EG-23, in partnership with national oil company GEPetrol. The shallow-water block covers 600 km² and holds an estimated 104 million barrels of oil and condensates and 215 billion cubic feet of contingent gas resources. Panoro is conducting subsurface studies before moving to exploration drilling, underscoring the untapped potential of Equatorial Guinea’s offshore areas.
At the same time, Vaalco Energy is advancing the development of Block P, which contains the Venus discovery and more than 20 million barrels of recoverable crude. With a Final Investment Decision (FID) expected soon, first production is targeted for 2026 with peak output anticipated in 2028. Vaalco’s entry marks another milestone in the country’s strategy to reignite production growth.
Chevron, through its acquisition of Noble Energy, has firmly established its presence in Equatorial Guinea. The global major recently signed two new PSCs for Blocks EG-06 and EG-11 alongside GEPetrol, representing a $2 billion investment. Located near the Zafiro field, the blocks include deepwater acreage and a prior discovery at Avestruz-1. These agreements highlight the renewed confidence of international oil companies in Equatorial Guinea’s resource base and fiscal framework as the country positions itself for a new era of exploration-led growth.
As the national oil company (NOC), GEPetrol is leading the transformation of Equatorial Guinea’s upstream sector through strategic partnerships, deepwater field reactivation, and operational improvements. By optimizing existing assets, accelerating exploration, and implementing technical innovations, the company aims to boost production, enhance operational efficiency, and consolidate its role as the country’s premier national operator. Equatorial Guinea’s offshore geology features hydrocarbon-rich deepwater and shallow-water sedimentary basins with Tertiary and Cretaceous reservoirs, confirmed structural traps, and complex stratigraphic plays. Significant potential remains both in proven fields and underexplored frontier areas, particularly in deepwater, where high-quality reservoirs and source rocks present attractive exploration targets.
On the regulatory front, Equatorial Guinea aims to be globally competitive. Core regimes have recently been revised or are undergoing optimization. Oil companies played a key role in the recent reform of the fiscal regime as well as in labor reforms. The forthcoming petroleum regime reform is expected to feature significantly improved fiscal terms for investors, allowing faster cost recovery and greater profit participation, among other favorable provisions.
“The EG 2026 Licensing Round represents a pivotal milestone to maximize Equatorial Guinea’s offshore and onshore potential. It will attract leading investors, drive exploration, and stimulate sustainable growth. We are committed to offering world-class fiscal and regulatory conditions to support this development,” stated Minister Ondo.
“In this context of rising activity, the EG 2026 Licensing Round will stand as the official platform to usher in a new wave of investment and exploration success in Equatorial Guinea. The round will offer opportunities in new areas to explore proven and innovative plays in moderate water depths, supported by premier fiscal packages and increasingly attractive conditions. By delivering enhanced and competitive fiscal frameworks alongside high-quality exploration potential, EG 2026 will launch a new era of exploration success, firmly positioning Equatorial Guinea as a global hub of exploratory and commercial interest for the industry.”
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