Libya has taken a major step back onto the global energy stage, awarding new oil and gas exploration rights for the first time since 2007. Chevron, Eni, QatarEnergy, and Repsol secured rights in an auction offering blocks holding an estimated 28 billion barrels of resources. While only five of the twenty blocks received valid bids, officials are already retooling terms for the next round expected this year. The thaw comes as major producers, emboldened by slower energy transitions and shifting US foreign policy, eye Africa’s largest crude reserves. The auction signals renewed investor confidence in the country after years of conflict that disrupted production and scared off foreign firms.
Bloomberg
