Cameroon's state hydrocarbons company SNH has issued an international Call for Expressions of Interest covering six unallocated blocks across three sedimentary basins, signed by Administrator and Managing Director Adolphe Moudiki on 8 October 2026. The licensing round represents a formal procurement-stage entry point for operators and their service chains seeking new acreage in Cameroon.
The six blocks are spread across three basins: the Rio del Rey (RDR) basin, which contains the Ndian River and Bakassi blocks; and additional blocks including Bomono and Kombe-Nsepe, located in separate sedimentary basins named in the call. The Rio del Rey basin is an established hydrocarbon province in Cameroon's coastal south-west, making the Ndian River and Bakassi blocks of particular near-term interest to E&P operators familiar with the region. The article does not specify water depths, resource estimates, or block classifications for any of the six areas.
An Expression of Interest (EOI) is an early-stage instrument — it does not constitute a block award or signed contract. SNH is using it to gauge qualified operator interest before advancing to formal licensing terms. Companies responding to this EOI would be positioning themselves for subsequent negotiation and potential block awards; service and equipment suppliers should treat this as a monitoring and relationship-building opportunity rather than a procurement trigger at this stage.
Cameroon's hydrocarbons sector has seen declining legacy production from mature fields, and SNH's decision to open six blocks simultaneously across multiple basins signals an intent to attract fresh exploration capital. The Bakassi block designation is geopolitically notable given the peninsula's history, though the article provides no detail on current boundary or operational arrangements. For service companies, the significance lies in the fact that any awards emerging from this round would eventually generate demand across the full upstream service spectrum — from seismic acquisition and drilling to subsea infrastructure and production systems, depending on where discoveries are made and what development concepts are selected.
Norwegian service companies with existing relationships in West and Central Africa should register the SNH EOI deadline and monitor progression toward formal licensing. Direct outreach to SNH or to likely bidding operators — particularly those already active in the Rio del Rey basin — is appropriate at this stage to ensure visibility when the round advances.