Cameroon Offers 9 Oil and Gas Exploration Blocks as SNH Bid Round Closes March 30, 2026
National Hydrocarbons Corporation (SNH) of Cameroon is receiving proposals for nine exploration and production blocks under its ongoing licensing round, with submissions open until March 30, 2026. The agency plans to announce the results of the bid round on April 24, 2026.
The offered blocks are located across two of Cameroon’s key hydrocarbon basins. The Rio del Rey Basin includes the Ndian River, Bolongo Exploration, and Bakassi blocks, while the Douala/Kribi-Campo Basin contains the Etinde Exploration, Bomono, Nkombe-Nsepe, Tilapia, Ntem, and Elombo blocks.
According to SNH, the nine blocks are located near existing producing fields and already benefit from earlier drilling activity as well as two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) seismic data.
The areas also contain several identified leads and undrilled prospects, allowing investors to quickly evaluate exploration and development potential.
Cameroon structured the licensing round to attract a broad range of investors by offering several contractual frameworks, including concession agreements, production-sharing contracts, and risk service contracts.
Exploration timelines vary by block. The Bolongo, Bomono, Etinde Exploration, Tilapia, Ntem, and Elombo blocks carry an initial three-year exploration period, which companies may renew twice for additional two-year terms.
Meanwhile, the Bakassi, Nkombe-Nsepe, and Ndian River blocks come with five-year initial exploration periods, also with renewal options.
Companies submitting bids must include technical evaluations, minimum work programs, budget estimates, environmental and social commitments, and local content plans.
Minimum work obligations typically involve drilling exploration wells, conducting seismic surveys, and completing geoscience studies.
Fiscal terms, including profit oil or gas shares, royalties, and cost recovery structures, will be negotiated with successful bidders, allowing the government to maintain competitive project economics while attracting investment into Cameroon’s upstream sector.
