The Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRA) has published eight fully executed Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) covering offshore acreage across the Liberian basin. Four PSCs have been ratified between the Government of Liberia and TotalEnergies EP Liberia (TEEPLIB), covering offshore blocks LB-06, LB-11, LB-17, and LB-29. A further four PSCs have been ratified between the Government of Liberia and Oranto Petroleum Liberia Limited, covering offshore block LB-15 and three additional blocks named in the source announcement.
The publication of fully executed contracts represents the highest level of instrument certainty in the licensing cycle — these are ratified PSCs, not MoUs or reconnaissance permits. For international oil and gas service companies, this is the signal that work programs are legally binding and that operator procurement activity can begin to materialise. TotalEnergies, as a major integrated operator with a substantial African offshore track record, is likely to move relatively quickly toward technical studies and early-phase contractor engagement. Oranto Petroleum, a pan-African independent with active positions across the continent, is a less capitalised operator and its pace of work will depend on farm-down strategy and financing.
Liberia sits on the West African Transform Margin, a geological province that extends from Sierra Leone through Côte d'Ivoire. The offshore acreage covered by these PSCs spans a wide block range — LB-06 through LB-29 — suggesting the contracts cover material portions of the Liberian offshore. The LPRA's decision to publish the contracts in full reflects a transparency commitment that is significant for investor confidence and for service companies conducting due diligence on operator intentions and minimum work obligations.
For Norwegian service companies, the immediate priority is understanding the work programs embedded in these PSCs. Minimum work obligations typically mandate 2D or 3D seismic acquisition in the first phase, followed by exploration drilling commitments in subsequent phases. TotalEnergies' four blocks are the higher-probability near-term opportunity given the operator's financial capacity and its existing West African operational infrastructure. Seismic vessel operators, geophysical data processors, and subsea survey specialists should begin relationship-building with TotalEnergies EP Liberia's exploration and new ventures teams now. Drilling contractors and well services companies should monitor for any transition from exploration phase to drilling commitment, which will trigger formal tendering.