TotalEnergies and BluEnergies join forces to unlock deepwater fan play offshore Liberia

January 15, 2026, by Melisa Cavcic

A Liberian upstream subsidiary of France’s energy giant TotalEnergies (TTE) has struck an industry-standard joint study and application agreement (JSAA) with BluEnergies (BLU), a Canadian-based international oil and gas exploration and development company with a focus on operations in West Africa, to explore the prospectivity of a deepwater fan play in the Harper Basin off the coast of Liberia, Africa.

The JSAA will enable the two companies to bring forth the prospective potential of the Harper Basin blocks by establishing prospects within LB-26, LB-30, and LB-31. The duo intends to apply for one or several production sharing contracts (PSCs), covering the blocks, subject to establishing economically viable drillable prospects.

The Canadian firm explains that an immediate budget has been jointly committed for the execution of a work program over the next 18 months, involving seismic reprocessing for more accurate reservoir imaging and the acquisition of sea bottom data to fully evaluate the prospectivity and de-risk the hydrocarbon potential.

Map showing the location of the reconnaissance license No. LPRA – 002; its component Blocks LB-26, LB-30, and LB-31; and the lead inventory as of April, 2025; Source: BluEnergies

This work program comprises the reprocessing, which TGS begun in November 28, 2025, of 6,167 square kilometers (around 1.5 million acres) of original 3D seismic data initially acquired in 2013, encompassing the majority of the blocks; and offshore sea bottom new data acquisition, comprising multi-beam/backscatter, heat flow survey, and subsequent data studies and interpretation.

Intending to support the JSAA, the Liberian subsidiaries of BLU and TTE have entered into a new reconnaissance license, LPRA-003 (RL-003), with the Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRA), encapsulating these contiguous blocks with an areal extent of 8,924 square kilometers (about 2.2 million acres).

3D seismic images of the seven Cretaceous Fan systems identified in BLU’s Harper Basin license (Cenomanian: top, Turonian: bottom); Courtesy of BluEnergies

Based on the key provisions of RL-003, BluEnergies has a 35% participating interest and TTE the remaining 65% stake in RL-003, where the duo is required to conduct a work program that includes 3D reprocessing and seabed new data acquisition. The term of RL-003 continues up to June 30, 2027, with new license replacing BLU’s existing RL-002.

Reconnaissance expenditures under RL-003 and RL-002 would be recoverable under any future production sharing contracts for the blocks. Under the RL-002 work program, which required a minimum expenditure of $1.6 million, BLU spent $1.86 million (CA$2.57 million).

During October 2024, the Canadian player acquired from TGS a review license under RL-002 of the 6,167 square kilometers 3D seismic survey, entailing a majority of the blocks. Thanks to the firm’s interpretation of the 3D survey, BLU delineated seven large-scale discrete Cretaceous-aged basin floor fans.

When Q1 2025 rolled in, BluEnergies entered into negotiations under non-disclosure agreements with multiple deepwater operators. Afterward, the company agreed to an exclusive relationship with TTE in July 2025 and inked a non-binding memorandum of understanding on October 8, 2025. The final negotiations led to the JSAA under the new RL– 003.

The West Africa Transform Margin, where the Harper Basin is located, and its conjugate South American Margin are portrayed as regions where the basin floor fan play is being actively explored, developed, and produced.

TotalEnergies is in the process of optimizing its portfolio, as demonstrated by the firm’s move to offload its interest in a Nigerian joint venture (JV).