Oman opens bidding on five exploration blocks — registration to 30 September

On 12 April 2026 Oman's Ministry of Energy and Minerals launched a new licensing round covering five onshore oil and gas exploration blocks totalling around 48,000 square kilometres.

The blocks on offer include Blocks 12 and 16, at 5,050 and 4,496 square kilometres in the Greater Barik Area of central Oman; Blocks 42 and 45, at 30,682 and 5,483 square kilometres in the Sharqiyah Sands Basin and nearby areas; and Block 55, at 7,564 square kilometres in the Eastern Flank Province.

Four of the licences result from partitioning two legacy blocks: Block 12 was split into Blocks 12 and 16, and Block 42 into Blocks 42 and 45. Registration closes on 30 September 2026, after which proposals go to technical and financial evaluation.