Liberia, May 29 -- Liberia's offshore petroleum sector is facing renewed scrutiny after the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL) announced separate agreements with two foreign firms to conduct offshore survey activities in the Liberia and Harper Basins, raising questions about regulatory authority, licensing requirements, and compliance with the country's Petroleum Law.

The agreements, signed with GeoPartners Limited and Searcher Geodata UK Ltd, are being promoted by NOCAL as important steps toward advancing Liberia's offshore energy ambitions through the acquisition of new geological and geophysical data. However, the deals have sparked criticism from transparency advocates and prompted a cautious response from the Liberia Petroleum...