Cameroon’s National Hydrocarbons Corporation (SNH) is currently receiving proposals for nine exploration and production blocks offered under its ongoing bid round, with submissions open until March 30, 2026. The blocks sit across two basins. The Rio del Rey (RDR) basin includes the Ndian River, Bolongo Exploration, and Bakassi blocks, while the Douala/Kribi-Campo (DKC) basin contains the Etinde Exploration, Bomono, Nkombe-Nsepe, Tilapia, Ntem, and Elombo blocks. SNH plans to announce the results on April 24, 2026.
According to SNH, the nine blocks lie close to existing producing fields and already benefit from earlier drilling activity, as well as two-dimensional and three-dimensional seismic data. The areas also contain identified leads and undrilled prospects, allowing investors to quickly assess exploration and development opportunities.
Cameroon designed the licensing round to attract a wide range of investors by offering several contractual options, including concession contracts, production sharing contracts, and risk service contracts. Exploration timelines differ by block. Bolongo, Bomono, Etinde Exploration, Tilapia, Ntem, and Elombo come with an initial three-year exploration period that companies can renew twice for two additional two-year terms. Bakassi, Kombe-Nsepe, and Ndian River instead carry five-year initial exploration periods with renewal options.
Companies must submit proposals that include technical assessments, minimum work programs, budgets, environmental and social commitments, and local content plans. The minimum work requirements include drilling exploration wells, carrying out seismic surveys, and completing geoscience studies. Negotiable fiscal terms, including profit oil or gas shares, royalties, and cost recovery structures, aim to keep the projects commercially competitive.
source: africaoilgasreport.com
African Energy Council