The Government of Sri Lanka, through the Petroleum Development Authority of Sri Lanka (PDASL), yesterday (Aug. 25) announced the opening of the Sri Lanka Licensing Round 2026 (SL2026-01), offering four offshore exploration blocks in the Mannar Basin to qualified international energy companies.
The PDASL says that the Licensing Round represents a significant opportunity for international explorers to evaluate acreage within Sri Lanka’s most established offshore petroleum basin, where previous exploration has demonstrated the presence of a working petroleum system.
The four exploration blocks span nearly 34,000 square kilometres in the Mannar Basin, extending across water depths of nearly 100 meters to 3,000 meters as previous exploration has found the presence of natural gas and condensate in the Mannar Basin.
The Petroleum Development Authority of Sri Lanka has organised international roadshows, a dedicated virtual investor briefing and investor engagement programme to support the Sri Lanka Licensing Round 2026.
Speaking at the launch of Sri Lanka Licensing Round 2026, at the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, Energy, Ports and Civil Aviation Minister Aruna Karunathilake said, “Our objective is to attract experienced and capable partners who can bring technical expertise, financial strength, and a strong commitment to safety, environmental protection, and sustainable operations.”
Responding to questions on whether the proposed exploration blocks lie along the International Maritime Boundary Line and could trigger geopolitical concerns, the Minister clarified that all four blocks are located entirely within Sri Lanka’s territorial waters.
“We don’t feel any concern of geopolitics situation because even though it’s bordered to the International Maritime Border, it’s in Sri Lankan territory. So we believe that there will be no geopolitical situation as far as we are concerned”, he said.
A dedicated website for Sri Lanka Licensing Round 2026 was also launched by the Minister in the presence of Labour Minister and Finance Deputy Minister Dr.Anil Jayantha Fernando and senior officials of PDASL and CPC.
Previous exploration has already confirmed natural gas discoveries offshore Sri Lanka. Exploratory drilling by Cairn Lanka in 2011 encountered hydrocarbons in the Mannar Basin, establishing that the basin contains an active petroleum system.
The next stage will require more detailed exploration to determine the location, size and commercial viability of prospective resources.
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