Algeria is putting its underground wealth back on the global stage. Minister of State for Hydrocarbons, Mohamed Arkab, chaired on Sunday in Algiers, at the Abdelatif Rahal International Conference Center, the launch ceremony of the “Algeria Bid Round 2026” call for tenders, covering seven new areas designated for hydrocarbon exploration. The ceremony sent a strong signal: gathered around the table were several government members — the Minister of Energy and Renewable Energies, the Minister of Mines and Mining Industries, the Minister of Industry, and the Minister of the Knowledge Economy, Start-ups and Micro-enterprises — alongside the CEO of Sonatrach and representatives of international energy companies, whose presence reflects the attractiveness the country aims to assert.
Seven Areas, from the Sahara to the High Plateaus
The seven blocks offered for bidding cover a significant geographic arc of Algeria’s subsurface, from major Saharan oil provinces to the western margins of the country: El Borma II and El M’Zaid North in Ouargla Province, Illizi Centre I and East Bordj Omar Driss I in Illizi Province, El Hadjira III in Touggourt Province, Touggourt South, and finally El Benoud East in El Bayadh Province. These sedimentary basins, some of which remain largely underexplored, represent potential hydrocarbon reserves and strategic bets on the country’s energy future.
The “Algeria Bid Round” mechanism is not new: it is an open international process, periodically relaunched, allowing oil and gas companies worldwide to submit bids for exploration permits, as part of ongoing efforts to boost investment in the hydrocarbons sector and maintain the country’s level of proven reserves.
A Tight Timeline Through January 2027
The technical process will begin on June 1, 2026, with the release of tender documents and the organization of online presentations for interested companies. This will be followed by data room sessions and clarification phases running until October 31, 2026 — a five-month window during which international operators will be able to deepen their understanding of the proposed areas and prepare their bids. The National Agency for the Valorization of Hydrocarbon Resources (ALNAFT), which is overseeing the process, has set November 26, 2026, as the deadline for bid submissions, ahead of the announcement of results and the signing of hydrocarbon contracts with Sonatrach, scheduled for January 31, 2027.
This precise and accelerated timeline reflects a clear drive for efficiency that Algerian authorities are keen to demonstrate, at a time when competition among producing countries to attract capital from major and independent companies has intensified significantly. While Algeria holds substantial reserves — particularly of natural gas, making it one of the leading exporters to Europe — maintaining long-term production levels requires a continuous renewal of exploration efforts. The “Algeria Bid Round 2026” fits into this logic of strategic continuity, in a global context where demand for hydrocarbons, despite the ongoing energy transition, is expected to remain strong for decades to come.
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