Monrovia – The last time a major oil company drilled off Liberia’s coast, much of the money never touched Liberian soil.

By Rodney D. Sieh

When ExxonMobil drilled the Mesurado-1 well in late 2016, its operations were based out of Abidjan, in neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire. Supply boats, logistics, waste handling and technical support were all organized from across the border. In the end, the well came up dry and was plugged and abandoned, and Liberia was left with neither oil nor much to show from the drilling itself.  

The National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL) now says it does not intend to let that happen again.

On Friday in London, NOCAL signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) with the Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics Base (LADOL), a Nigerian company that runs one of Africa’s largest oil and gas shorebases in Lagos. Under the deal, the two will work toward building and operating a logistics base in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, to serve oil companies drilling offshore.

“We are determined to correct that narrative as we prepare for our next set of drilling programs,” NOCAL President and CEO Fabian M. Lai said. “Our goal is to ensure that the jobs, the contracts, the training, and the ancillary services that support our petroleum operations are performed by Liberian companies and create opportunities for Liberian citizens right here in Liberia.”

What the deal covers

LADOL will serve as technical lead partner, funding and conducting the feasibility study, coordinating engineering design, and partnering with NOCAL to build and run the facility. NOCAL says the study should begin within the next 45 days and run for six months.

It will look at land, waterfront and marine access, utilities, commercial viability, geotechnical and topographical surveys, and the early scoping of an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment.

The agreement also sets up a Joint Steering Committee to oversee progress and commits both sides to negotiating final project agreements. The two companies have also signed confidentiality and non-circumvention clauses.

LADOL Executive Chairman Sir Oladipo Ladi Jadesimi said the company sees itself as more than a financier. “We are not just investors; we are partners in building a sustainable future for Liberia’s oil and gas industry,” he said, adding that the shorebase could help ensure “Liberian businesses and workers are the primary beneficiaries of the country’s natural resources.”

Why now

The timing follows a burst of activity in Liberia’s offshore sector after years of quiet. In September 2025, the Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority signed four Production Sharing Contracts with Atlas/Oranto Petroleum for offshore blocks LB-15, LB-16, LB-22 and LB-24, an agreement that followed a recent deal with TotalEnergies.  

More blocks are in play. Last month, Australia’s Bounty Oil & Gas agreed to acquire the company holding exclusive rights to the LB-32 offshore block, a right that stems from a letter of commitment issued by NOCAL in October 2025. That contract still has to be negotiated and go before Parliament for approval.

If any of these companies move to drilling, they will need a base on land. NOCAL is betting that if Buchanan is ready, they won’t need to look to Abidjan.

A long wait for oil

Liberia has been chasing an oil discovery for more than a decade. Before Mesurado-1, other companies had drilled off the coast, and Exxon’s well was seen at the time as the latest blow to Liberia’s hopes of emulating the exploration success of Ghana and Senegal. Exxon later pulled out of Block LB-13.  

For residents of Buchanan, a port city that has watched iron ore and other resources pass through for decades, the question will be whether this project delivers real jobs for local people or becomes another promise on paper. The feasibility study, due in roughly seven months, will be the first real test.

Monrovia — Liberia has secured a seat at the continental petroleum regulatory table following the induction of the Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority into the African Petroleum Regulators Forum (AFRIPERF), strengthening the country’s efforts to build regulatory capacity as its oil and gas program expands.

By Gerald C. Koinyeneh, gerald.koinyeneh@frontpageafricaonline.com

The membership brings Liberia into a continental network of petroleum regulators working to promote safe, efficient, equitable and sustainable development of Africa’s petroleum resources.

For the LPRA, the move is expected to provide greater access to regulatory expertise, technical training and knowledge-sharing while helping Liberia align its petroleum governance framework with emerging continental standards.

AFRIPERF was established in Accra, Ghana, on September 18, 2025, following a meeting of petroleum regulators from 16 African countries. Eight countries — Nigeria, Ghana, Somalia, The Gambia, Madagascar, Sudan, Guinea and Togo — initially signed the Forum’s Charter.

The Forum seeks to bridge gaps in petroleum regulatory capacity across Africa by harmonizing regulatory standards, promoting knowledge and technology transfer, strengthening institutional capacity and coordinating African regulators on global energy policy.

As a member, the LPRA will participate in technical working groups, training programs and regulatory experience-sharing platforms. The Authority says the knowledge gained will be applied to Liberia’s oversight of its growing hydrocarbon sector, particularly in the areas of safety, environmental protection and transparency.

Liberia’s induction comes as the LPRA oversees eight active Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) and prepares for its 2026 Direct Negotiation Petroleum Licensing Round, scheduled to launch in the fourth quarter of 2026.

“Regulating an active offshore program is a technical business, and the fastest way to build that competence is to sit in the room with regulators who have already done it,” LPRA Director General Marilyn Logan said.

Logan said the induction is part of the Authority’s broader strategy of developing bilateral and multilateral partnerships to strengthen its technical capacity and improve Liberia’s ability to manage an expanding petroleum portfolio. 

The LPRA is also expected to use its AFRIPERF membership to strengthen Liberia’s regulatory environment ahead of the upcoming licensing round, with the goal of providing greater predictability for investors while essuring that petroleum activities meet appropriate safety and environmental standards.

The Authority’s participation comes at a potentially important stage in Liberia’s emerging petroleum industry, as the government seeks to attract new investment while strengthening oversight of the country’s offshore resources.

Through AFRIPERF, Liberia will now have a platform to engage directly with regulators from across the continent, share lessons from its own petroleum experience and draw on countries with more established oil and gas industries.

The LPRA says it remains committed to the responsible development, regulation and management of Liberia’s petroleum resources for the benefit of all Liberians.

Monrovia – The Liberian Senate has opened an investigation into an escalating dispute between the Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRA) and the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL) over the interpretation and implementation of the 2014 Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act, amid allegations that NOCAL may have acted outside the law in signing agreements with foreign firms.

By Gerald C. Koinyeneh, gerald.koinyeneh@frontpageafricaonline.com

The Senate’s intervention follows a communication jointly submitted by Senator Amara Konneh of Gbarpolu County and Senator Jonathan Boye Charles Sogbie of River Gee County, who warned that a growing jurisdictional conflict between the two institutions could undermine investor confidence, weaken regulatory oversight, and threaten the integrity of Liberia’s petroleum sector.

The lawmakers’ concerns were fueled by an investigative report published by FrontPage Africa, which revealed that NOCAL had signed offshore agreements with two foreign companies—GeoPartners and Searcher—allowing them to conduct petroleum reconnaissance activities in Liberia.

According to Senators Konneh and Sogbie, such activities require authorization from the LPRA under Section 11.1 of the Petroleum Law.

Following the Senate’s decision to investigate the matter, Senator Konneh took to social media, reiterating their call for the immediate suspension and review of the agreements.

“Today, my colleague Senator Jonathan Boye Charles Sogbie and I urgently called for the immediate suspension and investigation of NOCAL’s controversial oil contracts,” Konneh wrote.

He argued that the agreements allegedly permit the companies to conduct petroleum reconnaissance operations without obtaining the mandatory license from the LPRA.

“According to Section 11.1 of the Petroleum Law, such reconnaissance activities must be exclusively licensed by the LPRA,” Konneh stated, citing provisions that require companies seeking to conduct geological, geophysical, geochemical, and geotechnical surveys to first obtain a reconnaissance license from the regulatory authority.

Konneh further warned that the dispute extends beyond administrative disagreements and strikes at the heart of Liberia’s petroleum governance framework.

“When the Petroleum Law was enacted, it clearly defined the roles of both institutions,” he said. “NOCAL was established as a commercial state-owned enterprise, while LPRA was empowered to regulate upstream petroleum activities, including those involving NOCAL itself.”

According to the senator, the separation of powers was deliberately designed to prevent conflicts of interest, promote accountability, and align Liberia’s petroleum governance system with international best practices.

“Despite this clear legal framework, NOCAL claims its actions are lawful,” Konneh noted. “If this jurisdictional fight remains unresolved, it could set a dangerous precedent, weaken the rule of law in Liberia’s petroleum industry, and hinder future legislative reforms.”

NOCAL Defends Its Position

The allegations prompted a public response from Emmanuel Azango, a Vice President at NOCAL, who offered a legal interpretation of the Petroleum Law and the NOCAL Act.

In a detailed Facebook post, Azango argued that while Section 11 of the Petroleum Law generally allows a company to apply for a reconnaissance license, the law must be interpreted holistically rather than in isolation.

He pointed to Section 12 of the Petroleum Law and Sections 7(e) and 7(f) of the NOCAL Act, which assign NOCAL responsibilities including administering reconnaissance licenses on behalf of the regulatory authority, participating in technical evaluations, and managing petroleum-related data.

“These functions indicate legislative intent for NOCAL to operate primarily as an institutional participant and administrator rather than as a competing commercial applicant,” Azango wrote.

He further argued that allowing NOCAL to directly obtain reconnaissance licenses could create real or perceived conflicts of interest, as the company could potentially oversee processes in which it has a direct commercial stake.

According to Azango, such a situation could raise concerns regarding transparency, accountability, institutional independence, and investor confidence.

To avoid legal ambiguity, he recommended that both NOCAL and LPRA seek a formal legal opinion from the Ministry of Justice clarifying the relationship between Sections 11 and 12 of the Petroleum Law and defining the appropriate scope of NOCAL’s involvement in reconnaissance activities.

Konneh Fires Back

Senator Konneh responded swiftly, accusing NOCAL of attempting to divert attention from the central issue under investigation.

He clarified that neither he nor Senator Sogbie had challenged NOCAL’s authority to administer reconnaissance licenses once issued.

Instead, he said, the issue before the Senate is whether NOCAL can authorize or engage in reconnaissance activities without first obtaining approval from the LPRA.

“Granting or authorizing a reconnaissance license is entirely different from administering or supervising one,” Konneh argued.

He maintained that Section 11.1 gives the LPRA authority to approve reconnaissance licenses, while NOCAL’s administrative responsibilities only begin after such licenses have been granted.

“One step leads to the other,” Konneh wrote. “NOCAL’s role begins where LPRA’s ends.”

The senator accused NOCAL of repeatedly emphasizing its administrative authority while avoiding the fundamental question of whether it can legally bypass LPRA licensing requirements.

To support his argument, Konneh said he had produced an infographic outlining what he described as the seven-step process for obtaining a reconnaissance license, asserting that LPRA exercises authority over the first six steps while NOCAL’s role is limited to the final phase.

Konneh also signaled that the reconnaissance-license controversy may be only one aspect of a broader investigation.

“Once we are finished with the reconnaissance-license violation issue we have raised, we will then move to the next, more serious issue,” he stated.

He alleged that NOCAL may have illegally and unilaterally committed Liberia to fiscal terms in multiple engagement letters with foreign oil companies—an accusation that could significantly expand the scope of the Senate inquiry if substantiated.

High-Stakes Investigation

The Senate investigation now places Liberia’s petroleum governance framework under intense scrutiny, with lawmakers expected to determine whether NOCAL’s actions complied with the Petroleum Law and whether existing legislation clearly delineates the responsibilities of the country’s petroleum institutions.

The outcome of the probe could have far-reaching implications for regulatory authority, investor confidence, future oil exploration activities, and the overall management of Liberia’s potentially lucrative hydrocarbon resources.

For now, the dispute has evolved from a technical legal disagreement into a high-profile test of transparency, accountability, and the rule of law in Liberia’s emerging petroleum sector.