TUNISIA/LIBYA: Joint Oil and Moyes & Co. Open Licensing Round for Shared Mediterranean Acreage
Joint Oil, the binational venture managing energy assets along the Libyan-Tunisian border, has teamed up with international advisory group Moyes & Co. to initiate a licensing round for offshore exploration and development opportunities.
Running from Joint Oil, the binational venture managing energy assets along the Libyan-Tunisian border, has teamed up with international advisory group Moyes & Co. to initiate a licensing round for offshore exploration and development opportunities.
Running from September 7 through December 31, 2026, the tender covers the Joint Oil Block and the adjacent Zarat Discovery—a strategic maritime zone situated in the resource-rich Gabes-Tripoli Basin.
Key Bidding Milestones & Timelines
Upstream operators seeking access to the Virtual Data Room (VDR) and commercial terms must adhere to the following roadmap:
- Roadshow Presentation: September 29–30, 2026 (World Energy Summit, London)
- Data Room Access & Application Deadline: December 31, 2026
- Final Proposal Submissions: January 8, 2027
- Award Notification: February 26, 2027
- Contract Finalization: April 30, 2027
Overview of Offered Commercial Packages
The bidding process offers qualified offshore operators two distinct entry points:
1. Joint Oil Block (Exploration)
- Acreage Size: ~3,000 km² in water depths between 80 m and 120 m.
- Contract Structure: Exploration and Production Sharing Agreement (EPSA).
- Data Coverage: High-density subsurface data comprising 6,500 km of 2D and 1,900 km² of 3D seismic lines.
- Historical Drilling: Proven petroleum presence evidenced by legacy wildcats including Zohra-1, El Amal South 1, Besmah-1, El Amal North 1, and Zarat North 1.
2. Zarat Field (Development)
- Asset Type: Unitized, cross-border oil and natural gas discovery.
- Governance Model: Managed via a joint framework involving a Development and Production Sharing Agreement (DPSA), Unitization Agreement (UA), Unit Operating Agreement (UOA), and an Operating Services Contract (OSC).
Strategic Location & Infrastructure Synergies
The offshore concession lies along the geological extension of the Sabratha-Gabes trend, benefiting from proximity to established producing fields in both Libyan and Tunisian sectors:
| Sector | Neighboring Producing Fields |
| Libyan Sector | Al Jurf, Bahr Essalam, Bouri |
| Tunisian Sector | Ashtart, Didon, Miskar, Hasdrubal |
By leveraging existing processing platforms and export routes across the central Mediterranean, prospective operators can minimize tie-in distances, lower capital expenditure requirements, and accelerate time-to-first-oil.
The tender covers the Joint Oil Block and the adjacent Zarat Discovery, a strategic maritime zone situated in the resource-rich Gabes-Tripoli Basin.
