(WO) – The Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Energy Regulator’s (C-NLOER) 2026 Calls for Bids drew 10 successful bids totaling more than C$260 million in work commitments, with more than 2 million ha (4.9 million acres) of acreage awarded. The results were released Nov. 4. Industry association Energy NL said the round shows offshore Newfoundland and Labrador will continue to play a significant role in global energy supply.
“This is the most successful bid round in recent years in terms of number of bids and work commitments and demonstrates to the world that offshore Newfoundland and Labrador is a place to invest for reliable, lower carbon energy,” said Charlene Johnson, CEO of Energy NL. NTV News reported it was the largest number of successful bids since 2000.
The successful bidders included the province’s own energy corporation, OilCo, which won two parcels in the Orphan basin and plans to farm them down to industry partners.
Johnson credited both the federal and provincial governments’ approaches to energy development for the change in outlook. “The outlook for the offshore has changed significantly in recent months,” she said. “Energy NL members are excited for the role they can play in preparing for exploration of these offshore areas and should that exploration be successful, as we anticipate it will be, the long-term role they will play in developing offshore oil and gas projects on these land parcels.”
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