Sierra Leone opens up most of offshore to explorers

A new government has brought a new approach to licensing

Sierra Leone has taken the unusual step of opening up its entire offshore acreage to potential explorers. While it is being branded as a reopening of its fourth licensing round, it is actually more of a complete revamp. The fourth round was originally launched back in early 2018, when five deep and ultra-deep-water blocks covering more than 31,000 km2 were offered. However, the process was complicated by the timing of the April 2018 presidential elections, which resulted in a win for the opposition candidate, Julius Maada Bio. A rethink by the new government, plus industry interest in acreage beyond the original five licensing areas resulted in suspension of the original round and a new appr