Cameroon is stepping up its efforts to revive its hydrocarbon sector by launching a major tender for oil and gas exploration in 2026. The Société Nationale des Hydrocarbures (SNH), the public entity responsible for managing the country's oil resources, is overseeing this ambitious operation, which offers nine exploration blocks spread across two proven sedimentary basins: the Rio del Rey basin and the Douala/Kribi-Campo basin.
Open since August 2025, this tender aims to attract international investment in a context where production from mature fields is experiencing a natural decline and tax revenues from the oil sector are expected to fall by more than 12% in 2026. The three blocks located in the Rio del Rey basin (Ndian River, Bolongo Exploration and Bakassi) are in shallow waters and benefit from proximity to existing infrastructure and producing fields, which reduces technical risks and development costs. These areas offer prospects for rapid development thanks to historical drilling data and already validated geological structures.
The six other blocks, located in the Douala/Kribi-Campo basin (Etinde Exploration, Bomono, Nkombe-Nsepe, Tilapia, Ntem and Elombo), are in deeper waters and offer greater potential but also pose greater technical challenges, particularly in terms of drilling and complex geology. These opportunities are part of a risk diversification strategy for investors, combining low-risk assets close to infrastructure with higher-yield frontier prospects.
The SNH emphasises a flexible contractual framework, including production sharing agreements, concessions and risk service contracts, in order to adapt the terms to the varied profiles of operators, from independents to international majors. Bidders have access to a data room since September 2025 to evaluate 2D and 3D seismic data, well logs and geochemical studies. The deadline for submitting bids is 30 March 2026, with a final award expected at the end of April 2026.
This round of licences comes with strong commitments to local content, including employment targets for nationals, preferences for local suppliers, training programmes and community investments. In addition, environmental requirements comply with international standards while taking into account local ecological sensitivities.
This initiative comes at a key moment for Cameroon, which is seeking to stabilise its public revenues while strengthening its energy sovereignty. It coincides with other major developments in the sector, such as the imminent start-up of the Kribi refinery in 2026 – the first major new refining facility in decades – and cross-border gas projects with Equatorial Guinea, notably around the Yoyo-Yolanda fields. These advances position the country as a strategic player in the Central African oil corridor, where existing infrastructure, regional connectivity and export prospects are conducive to accelerated monetisation of discoveries.
Market observers believe that this licensing round could mark the beginning of a new phase of upstream investment in Central Africa, in a global geopolitical and energy environment characterised by price volatility and energy transition. The success of this tender will depend on Cameroon's ability to demonstrate the competitiveness of its fiscal terms and the reliability of its regulatory framework in the face of increased regional competition.