Equatorial Guinea’s Minister of Hydrocarbons and Mining Development Antonio Oburu Ondo announced that the country’s next licensing round will be launched in April 2026 at the African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies 2025 conference on Monday. The country is finalizing timelines for the licensing round and is inviting companies to participate. Up to 24 blocks will be available for exploration, covering a variety of acreage from offshore to onshore blocks.

The announcement was made during a session on Equatorial Guinea’s New Exploration Drive, hosted by the Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Mining Development of Equatorial Guinea. The upcoming round forms part of the country’s national strategy to accelerate upstream growth, attract fresh investment and unlock offshore exploration and production opportunities, and complements the country’s open-door licensing policy launched in 2023.

“The Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Mining Development invites all companies worldwide to participate in the 2026 licensing round. Since 2023, we have been able to sign seven new PSCs, have recently staged a multi-billion deal with ConocoPhillips, and today, we have Block 29 and 28 under negotiation. This is a result of the open-door policy. Join us in developing these vast resources for the benefit of our country,” stated Minister Ondo.

During the session, investors gained access to detailed geological data, including structural, stratigraphic and prospectivity insights into Equatorial Guinea’s offshore basins. According to Roberto Blanco, CEO of Perceptum, “There is something here for every company portfolio. When you see the geology Equatorial Guinea has to offer, historically, you see that out of 118 exploration wells, 79 have demonstrated hydrocarbons. Yet, we have very little exploration and we hope that the licensing round will address that.”

To support investment through the EG 2026 Licensing Round, the Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Mining Development – in partnership with advisory firm Perceptum and GeoexMCG – is reprocessing more than 9,600 km² of seismic in the Rio Muni Basin. Complementing this initiative, Searcher Seismic is acquiring and reprocessing 2D and 3D seismic data in underexplored areas, delivering high-quality technical packages designed to enhance competitiveness and build investor confidence.

“With the licensing round due to open in April 2026, we have started reprocessing some seismic data, including all the 2D data so that companies can have a regional understanding of the petroleum systems. The EGW 98 and EGW05 Regional 2D’s are being reprocessed now through PSDM sequence and will be available April 2026 from Searcher,” explained Neil Hodgson, Vice President: Geoscience, Searcher.

Oscar Berniko, Director General, Ministry of Hydrocarbons, Equatorial Guinea, said that the country’s existing gas infrastructure will support upcoming investments. He said: “There are fantastic gas processing facilities that have been running for years in the country.” This offers security in terms of offtakers and exports, strengthening the long-term viability of investing in Equatorial Guinea.  

The Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Mining Development has also been improving the regulatory and fiscal regime to attract investment. According to Jay Park, Director at Park Energy Law, “Important changes to the tax law have been made, with a 10% reduction in corporate income tax.”

Teresa Nnang, CEO, BlackStone, stated that “The opportunities are there, but we need to make sure we have the right channels to link the opportunities to the investors,” highlighting the role of consultancies in facilitating engagement.

Meanwhile, under efforts to diversify its economy, Equatorial Guinea is reforming its mining sector to attract investment and drive projects forward. Domingo Mba Esono, the country’s Deputy Minister of Hydrocarbons, explained that “Mining is one of the sectors that we will focus on. We have started reforming the mining law and will be focusing on improving certain aspects to make it more competitive with a stable fiscal regime, tax incentives and clear royalties.”