Cameroon’s 2025‑26 licensing round offers a data-rich, near-production investment opportunity, with Paris and Cape Town conferences providing the platforms to advance partnerships, discuss terms and turn opportunities into executed deals.
YAOUNDE, Cameroon, Nine exploration and production blocks are now avaialble in Cameroon’s latest licensing round. Spanning two proven basins, the tender – managed by the National Hydrocarbons Corporation (SNH) – is accepting proposals through March 30, 2026, ahead of a final decision in late April. Launched on August 1, 2025, the round includes three blocks in the Rio del Rey (RDR) basin – Ndian River, Bolongo Exploration and Bakassi – and six in the Douala/Kribi‑Campo (DKC) basin – Etinde Exploration, Bomono, Nkombe‑Nsepe, Tilapia, Ntem and Elombo. Strategically located near existing producing fields, these blocks feature prior drilling, 2D and 3D seismic coverage and identified leads and undrilled prospects, giving investors immediate insight into exploration and development potential.
Competitive Framework Attracts Investors
Cameroon’s licensing round accommodates multiple contractual frameworks, including Concession Contracts, Production Sharing Contracts and Risk Service Contracts. Exploration periods vary by block: Bolongo, Bomono, Etinde Exploration, Tilapia, Ntem and Elombo have an initial three-year term, renewable twice for two-year periods, while Bakassi, Kombe-Nsepe and Ndian River have five-year initial terms, also renewable.
Companies must submit proposals including technical evaluations, minimum work programs, budgets, environmental and social commitments and local content plans. Minimum work programs require drilling exploration wells, seismic acquisition and geoscience studies, while negotiable fiscal terms – profit-oil/gas shares, royalties and cost oil/cost gas – ensure competitive commercial conditions.
This transparency and flexibility reflect SNH’s strategy to restore investor confidence, particularly as mature fields face natural production decline. The government has also enhanced openness by publishing full data packages and bid criteria, with data rooms accessible in Yaoundé and abroad.
“What makes Cameroon’s licensing round so compelling is the quality of the technical data available,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “Investors can clearly see the reservoir potential, plan their drilling strategies and structure financing with confidence. Beyond the data, Cameroon has created a transparent and competitive framework, with clear contract terms and open negotiations, giving companies the certainty they need to move capital and execute projects effectively.”
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