E&P

Mabruk oilfield onshore Libya, located in concession C17, around 130 km south of Sirte. (Image source: TotalEnergies)

TotalEnergies has restarted production at the Mabruk oilfield onshore Libya, located in concession C17, around 130 km south of Sirte

Production from the field stopped in 2015.

The construction of a new production unit with a capacity of 25,000 barrels per day was launched in May 2024. Start-up of the new facility occurred on 28 February 2026, less than two years after the project was launched.

“This restart illustrates our long-term commitment in Libya, as we celebrate TotalEnergies’ 70th anniversary in the country this year,” said Julien Pouget, Middle East and North Africa director for TotalEnergies’ Exploration & Production business. “This project, which follows TotalEnergies’ recent announcements regarding the extension of the Waha concessions, brings low-cost, low-emissions oil production in line with the company’s strategy, and contributes to our objective of 3% annual production growth per year until 2030.”

TotalEnergies holds an interest of 37.5% at Mabruk.

The restart follows TotalEnergies’ signing of an agreement extending the Libya onshore Waha Concessions, of which it holds 20.42%, up to 2050, paving the way for further investments and strengthening TotalEnergies’ presence in the country.

This agreement sets new fiscal terms allowing to increase the production of these concessions, currently producing around 370,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d). It clears the way for a new phase of investments, including the development of the North Gialo field, which is expected to unlock an additional 100,000 boe/d of production.

The Waha concessions are held by NOC (59.16%), TotalEnergies (20.42%) and ConocoPhillips (20.42%) and are operated by Waha Oil Company (WOC), a company 100% owned by NOC.

TotalEnergies has a longstanding presence in Libya, with production averaging 113,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2025, from the offshore Al Jurf field (TotalEnergies 37.5%), the onshore areas of El Sharara (TotalEnergies 15% in former Block NC 115 and 12% in former Block NC 186), Mabruk, and the Waha concessions.

The agreement relates to exploration in Oman's offshore Block 18. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

PC Oman Ventures Ltd (PCOVL), a subsidiary of PETRONAS, has signed a Concession Agreement with the Government of the Sultanate of Oman and OQ Exploration and Production Batinah Offshore LLC (OQEP) for the exploration of oil and gas in Block 18

Block 18 is a large offshore exploration area located in Northeast Oman, spanning more than 21,000 sq km and offering significant frontier exploration potential across diverse geological settings, from shallow to ultra-deep water. Under the concession agreement, PCOVL will become operator of Block 18 in partnership with OQEP.

PCOVL has been active in the Sultanate of Oman since 2018 and currently holds a participating interest in Block 61.  This collaboration builds on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between PETRONAS and OQEP in October 2025, strengthening the strategic partnership between both companies and reinforcing PETRONAS’ long-term presence in the Sultanate of Oman. 

The partnership supports PETRONAS’ aspiration to enhance its competitive upstream portfolio by aligning its offshore exploration capability with OQEP’s regional expertise, laying the foundation for a mutually beneficial venture.

"Building on our technical strengths and successes, PETRONAS continues to expand its exploration activities into new frontiers. Through our innovative exploration approaches and OQEP’s basin expertise, we aim to jointly unlock the potential of Block 18, contributing to Oman’s long-term energy security. The addition of Block 18 aligns with our commitment to disciplined portfolio expansion, providing strategic optionality across our international portfolio," said Mohd Redhani Abdul Rahman, vice president of International Assets, PETRONAS.

There is strong international interest in Libya's exploration potential. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Libya’s NOC has announced the winners of the latest oil exploration bidding round, launched in February 2025, which offered 20 blocks for investment, both onshore and offshore

They include the USA’s Chevron; a consortium of Eni and QatarEnergy; a consortium of Repsol and state-owned Türkiye Petrolleri A. O. (TPAO), a consortium of Hungary’s MOL, Repsol and TPAO; and Nigeria’s Aiteo.

The licensing round was Libya’s first for eighteen years and attracted more than 40 bids, signalling growing international interest in Libya’s largely untapped hydrocarbon potential. Only five blocks out of the 20 offered were awarded.

Chairman of NOC Engineer Masoud Suleiman highlighted that the success of this round, conducted with the highest standards of quality and transparency, marks a significant turning point in the development of the Libyan oil sector. He noted that it will double Libya’s crude oil production, leading to an economic revival that aims to steer the country toward stability and prosperity, while also safeguarding Libya’s crude oil reserves for future generations.

He stressed that the success of this round also signified the restoration of the world’s confidence in Libya, which will in turn have a positive impact on the Libyan economy.

Chevron, through its subsidiary Chevron Business Development EMEA Ltd won Contract Area 106 located in the Sirte Basin, marking its entry into Libya. In January, Chevron separately signed an MoU with NOC in Tripoli to evaluate the development and exploration potential onshore Libya.

"Chevron is excited to enter Libya with the award of onshore Contract Area 106, which underscores our focus on North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean region, and is a good fit in our exploration strategy to grow our portfolio with high-quality acreage and high impact prospects," said Kevin McLachlan, vice president of Exploration at Chevron.

"Libya has significant proven oil reserves and a long history of producing its resources. Chevron is confident that its proven track record in developing oil and gas projects and its technical expertise gives it the ability to support Libya to further develop its resources."

A consortium led by Eni (60%) in partnership with QatarEnergy (40%) has been awarded the offshore exploration License O1, which covers approximately 29.000 sq km in the offshore extension of the prolific Sirte Basin. It offers notable exploration potential, including wide areas without 3D seismic coverage that could host additional hydrocarbon accumulations. The block also features various hydrocarbon indications, including stranded oil and gas discoveries.

Under the terms of the agreement, Eni will operate the concession, with the consortium holding a 100% stake during the exploration and development phases. The partners plan to conduct 2D/3D seismic acquisition and drilling activities over the first five-year exploration period.

Eni sees the award as “a significant step forward in strengthening Eni’s upstream position in the country”. Eni has been active in Libya since 1959, with equity hydrocarbon production of approximately 162,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2025.

For QatarEnergy, the licence marks its entry into Libya’s upstream sector.

His Excellency Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the president and CEO of QatarEnergy, said, “We are pleased to be awarded this exploration block and enthusiastic about the prospects of Libya’s offshore upstream sector and about expanding our upstream footprint in North Africa.”

A consortium of Repsol (operator with 40% share), state-owned Türkiye Petrolleri A. O. (TPAO) with a 40% share and Hungary’s MOL Group (20%) won the 07 offshore block which covers more than 10,300 sq.km in water depths exceeding 1,500m, located approximately 140 km northwest of Benghazi. Its deepwater setting aligns with the consortium’s extensive offshore experience, according to a statement from MOL.

The deal sees the entry of MOL into Libya, and follows the signing of a strategic partnership between MOL and Libya’s NOC. That agreement outlines plans for joint work across several key areas, including hydrocarbon exploration and production, technological and field development innovations, as well as crude supply, trading, and oilfield services opportunities in Libya.

Nigeria’s Aiteo won the M1 block in the Murzuq Basin, while Repsol and TPAO also won the onshore C3 block in the northeastern Sirte Basin.

Libya’s oil production currently stands at around 1.3mn bpd. NOC aims to produce 1.6mn bpd by the end of 2026, rising to 2mn bpd in the medium term, and sees the participation of international companies as crucial to achieving its growth plans.

The strategic partnership agreement sets out the framework for NOC and MOL to exchange information and jointly explore potential areas of cooperation. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Hungary’s MOL Group has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) for cooperation in hydrocarbons exploration, technological innovation and crude trading, as international interest in Libya hots up

The strategic partnership agreement sets out the framework for NOC and MOL to exchange information and jointly explore potential areas of cooperation. These include hydrocarbon exploration and production, technological and field development innovations, oilfield services opportunities in Libya, crude supply and trading activities.

"We recognise Libya’s oil and gas industry as a pillar of strength and expertise. I am sure that this new agreement will act as a catalyst for further expanding our international portfolio, creating clear mutual value for both companies and reinforcing the resilience of our region. From the perspective of security of supply and energy sovereignty, particularly for landlocked countries, diversification of sources is of crucial importance. Our cooperation also goes beyond business, as we have agreed to rebuild our educational, scientific, and university ties in order to learn as much as possible from each other. Such partnerships can also help Europe to find its own path to competitiveness, rather than switching between different forms of energy dependency,” – said Zsolt Hernádi, chairman and CEO of the MOL Group.

The agreement comes as MOL is looking to expand its international portfolio to maintain its strategy target of at least 90,000 barrels of oil equivalent/day production level over the next five years, recently signing cooperation agreements with the national oil company of Kazakhstan (KazMunayGas), the national oil company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), and the national oil company of Türkiye (Turkish Petroleum). The company has oil and gas exploration and production assets in nine countries, with production in eight countries: in Croatia, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Russia, Pakistan, Egypt, and Hungary.

The agreement also reflects the hotting up of international interest in Libya. Chevron recently signed an MoU with NOC to evaluate exploration and development opportunities, while TotalEnergies has signed an agreement extending the Libya Waha Concessions up to 2050, paving the way for further investments. TGS has a global provider of energy data and intelligence, has just signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with North Africa Geophysical Company, (NAGECO),a subsidiary of the NOC to advance high-quality subsurface data, supporting Libya’s upstream development through modern, fit-for-purpose data and technology solutions. Libya’s latest upstream licensing round launched in March 2025, the first in 18 years, has attracted more than 40 bids, signalling growing international interest in Libya’s largely untapped hydrocarbon potential.