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Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) won two fields, one onshore and one offshore, in Libya’s hydrocarbon exploration and production tender covering 22 blocks, launched for the first time in 17 years.
Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibeh, Oil and Gas Minister Khalifa Abdulsadek, National Oil Corporation (NOC) Chairman Masoud Suleiman and representatives of several international energy companies attended the ceremony announcing the tender results.
The tender committee affiliated with the NOC said TPAO won the C3 onshore block together with its Spanish partner Repsol. The committee also announced that TPAO secured the O7 offshore block in partnership with Repsol and Hungary-based MOL.
Libya’s Ministry of Oil and Gas said last year that it was launching, for the first time in 17 years, a tender for oil and natural gas exploration and production covering 22 blocks—11 onshore and 11 offshore.
The hydrocarbon-rich country aims to attract major global energy companies back to Libya while increasing daily oil production by 850,000 barrels over the next 25 years.
The winners of the latest bidding round included U.S. oil major Chevron and Hungary’s ALTEO.
Licenses were also granted to consortiums involving Spain’s Repsol with BP, Repsol with Hungary’s MOL Group, and Eni North Africa with QatarEnergy.
“This marks a return of trust and the resumption of institutional work in one of the country’s most important sectors after a long period of pause and challenges,” NOC Chairman Suleiman said during the ceremony.
He pledged “integrity, transparency and equal opportunities,” and said the NOC aims to “maximize national returns.”
Libya currently produces around 1.5 million barrels of oil per day and holds Africa’s largest proven reserves, estimated at 48.4 billion barrels.
Libya’s oil sector has faced persistent challenges, including security risks, as the country remains divided following the NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.
“Today’s announcements are not merely technical or administrative,” Suleiman said. “They are part of a broader national path that aims for prosperity, growth and the return of normalcy.”
Last month, Libya signed agreements worth more than $20 billion with TotalEnergies and ConocoPhillips to increase oil production over the next 25 years.
The NOC previously opened bids for 20 oil blocks, including 11 offshore blocks, but none of the offshore areas received offers at that stage. On Wednesday, five blocks were licensed, and Suleiman said another licensing round would be held later this year.
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