(WO) — Sri Lanka is seeking international E&P companies for four offshore exploration blocks covering nearly 34,000 km² in the Mannar basin as the country advances its 2026 licensing round.
The Sri Lanka Licensing Round 2026 (SL2026-01), which opened Aug. 25, offers blocks 2026-MB-01, 2026-MB-02, 2026-MB-03 and 2026-MB-04. The acreage spans water depths ranging from approximately 100 m to 3,000 m, according to the Petroleum Development Authority of Sri Lanka (PDASL).
The four blocks range in size from approximately 5,689 km² to 11,728 km² and collectively cover 33,964 km². Bids are due Feb. 2, 2027.
Sri Lanka recently presented the acreage to international upstream companies at the World Energies Summit in London, beginning an international investor roadshow aimed at attracting companies with offshore exploration and development capabilities.
Previous exploration in the Mannar basin has demonstrated a working petroleum system and resulted in gas and condensate discoveries. However, only a limited number of modern exploration wells have been drilled across the basin, leaving substantial acreage untested, PDASL said.
“Our objective in London is to give international explorers the opportunity to understand the Mannar basin, examine the available technical information and engage directly with PDASL,” said Dr. Neil DeSilva, director general of PDASL. “We encourage companies interested in frontier and emerging offshore opportunities to evaluate the acreage and participate in the Licensing Round.”
Geological and geophysical information for the four blocks is available through the licensing round’s data room to support prospective bidders’ technical evaluations.
PDASL plans a virtual investor briefing on Oct. 21 covering the acreage, technical data and licensing process. Sri Lanka will continue its investor outreach at the Asia Petroleum Geoscience Conference & Exhibition in Kuala Lumpur on Nov. 16-17.
The deadline for bid clarification requests is Jan. 12, 2027, followed by the final bid submission deadline on Feb. 2.
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