Tanzania announced it will launch its fifth oil and gas licensing round in May 2025, offering 26 exploration blocks to attract fresh investment into its hydrocarbons sector.
Of the blocks available, 23 are offshore in the Indian Ocean, while three are located in Lake Tanganyika, according to Charles Sangweni, Director General of the Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority (PURA).
This marks Tanzania’s first licensing round in over a decade. Previous exploration efforts led to the discovery of more than 57 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, which now generates over half of the country’s electricity.
Sangweni stated that the licensing round will be launched during the Africa Energy Summit in London to attract major investors.
Additionally, the Tanzanian government aims to finalize negotiations on a stalled $42 billion LNG project with investors, including Equinor and Shell, by June 2025. The project also involves ExxonMobil, Pavilion Energy, Medco Energi, and Tanzania’s national oil company, TPDC.
Source: Reuters
