• Algeria is preparing a new licensing round, Algeria Bid Round 2026, for oil and gas exploration blocks.
• The tender will be organized by ALNAFT, the agency responsible for promoting upstream investment.
• The move is part of Algeria’s strategy to expand gas production and attract foreign investors.

Algeria is preparing to launch a new oil and gas licensing round called “Algeria Bid Round 2026,” aimed at offering international investors new opportunities in the country’s hydrocarbon sector.

According to information reported on March 15 by Algeria Press Service (APS), citing the Ministry of Energy and Mines, the tender is expected to mark “an important step” that could open “a new era of opportunities” for oil and gas exploration and development in the country.

The 2026 licensing round will be organized by the National Agency for the Valorization of Hydrocarbon Resources (ALNAFT), the body responsible for promoting investment in Algeria’s upstream oil and gas sector.

According to APS, the ministry said the tender will include “some of the most promising opportunities in the global hydrocarbons sector, as well as world-class assets.” At this stage, authorities have not specified the blocks to be offered or the timeline for the process, noting that further details will be announced later.

The initiative follows the previous licensing cycle conducted by the country. According to Radio Algérie Multimedia, the results of the “Algeria Bid Round 2024,” announced in June 2025, led to exploration licenses being awarded to companies of various nationalities across five areas of interest.

That round was itself part of a broader program under which ALNAFT had identified 17 hydrocarbon projects intended to be gradually offered to international investors.

Algeria aims to raise its annual gas production to about 200 billion cubic meters by 2030, compared with around 137 billion cubic meters per year in 2025, according to targets outlined by authorities in the sector.

The country has also announced a $60 billion investment program for the 2025–2029 period, a significant portion of which is allocated to hydrocarbon exploration, transportation, and processing.

Abdel-Latif Boureima