Liberia’s petroleum regulator has joined the African Petroleum Regulators Forum, strengthening its regional ties as the country prepares to advance offshore exploration and launch a new licensing round later this year.
The Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority, known as LPRA, was inducted into AFRIPERF, a continental body formed to bring African petroleum regulators together to coordinate standards, share technical expertise and strengthen oversight of the oil and gas industry.
Membership will give Liberia access to technical working groups, training programs and regulatory exchanges focused on safety, environmental protection, transparency and operational efficiency, the LPRA said in a statement.
“Regulating an active offshore program is a technical business, and the fastest way to build that competence is to sit in the room with regulators who have already done it,” LPRA Director General Marilyn Logan said.
The authority currently oversees eight active production-sharing contracts and is conducting prequalification for its 2026 Direct Negotiation Petroleum Licensing Round, which is scheduled to launch in the fourth quarter.
The LPRA said participation in AFRIPERF will help align Liberia’s regulatory framework with continental standards and support the authority’s efforts to attract new operators while building local regulatory capacity.
AFRIPERF was established in Accra, Ghana, on Sept. 18, 2025, when regulators from 16 African countries met and representatives from eight nations — Nigeria, Ghana, Somalia, The Gambia, Madagascar, Sudan, Guinea and Togo — signed the forum’s charter.
Through the forum, members aim to harmonize safety and environmental requirements, share technology and expertise, develop regulatory capacity and advocate collectively on global energy policy.
The LPRA said it would apply the knowledge gained through the forum to its oversight of Liberia’s hydrocarbon sector and to the upcoming licensing round.
