Libya-Tunisia Joint Oil Offers 3,000km² Offshore Acreage in New Exploration Bid Round
Libya and Tunisia have opened a new bid round for oil and gas exploration and development opportunities in their shared offshore zone, covering approximately 3,000 square kilometres in the central Mediterranean.
The round, launched by the Libya-Tunisia Joint Exploration, Exploitation and Petroleum Services Company (Joint Oil), includes exploration of the Joint Oil Block and development of the Zarat oil and gas discovery, which extends across the maritime boundary between the two countries.
The offshore acreage is located in the Gabes-Tripoli Basin, with water depths ranging from 80 to 120 metres. The area is supported by an extensive geological dataset comprising about 6,500 kilometres of 2D seismic and 1,900 square kilometres of 3D seismic data.
The exploration package includes several legacy wells drilled between 1976 and 2010, providing additional geological information for companies assessing prospects across the block.
The second opportunity focuses on the development of the Zarat discovery as a unitised cross-border resource.
Its development will be governed by a Development and Production Sharing Agreement, Unitisation Agreement, Unit Operating Agreement and Operating Services Contract.
The acreage is located close to several producing fields and established energy infrastructure in both countries.
Nearby Libyan assets include the Bouri, Al Jurf and Bahr Essalam fields, while Tunisian fields include Hasdrubal, Ashtart, Miskar and Didon.
Joint Oil opened access to the bid round on September 7, 2026, with the process scheduled to remain open until December 31.
Companies must submit their bids by January 8, 2027, with successful bidders expected to be notified by February 26 and formal awards completed by April 30, 2027.
The opportunity will also be presented at the World Energy Summit in London on September 29–30 as Joint Oil seeks qualified international partners with offshore exploration and development expertise.
Joint Oil is a partnership between Tunisia’s national oil company, ETAP, and OLA Energy Holdings, a subsidiary of Libya’s sovereign wealth investment structure. The company has managed hydrocarbon resources in the shared offshore area since 1988.
The new licensing round represents a renewed effort to attract investment into the underexplored offshore zone and advance development of the long-standing Zarat discovery, while strengthening energy cooperation between Libya and Tunisia.
