The official announcement of the 2026 Sri Lanka Petroleum Exploration Licensing Round for the Mannar Basin was held this morning at the auditorium of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) head office in Dematagoda.
The special event, organized by the Petroleum Development Authority of Sri Lanka (PDASL), was held under the patronage of Minister of Energy and Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Anura Karunatilake, alongside Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Anil Jayantha.
The event was also attended by Petroleum Development Authority Chairman Prof. Dhammika Tantrigoda, Director General Dr. Neil de Silva, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation Chairman D.J.A.S. de Rajakaruna, and senior officials from the Ministry of Energy. During the event, it was announced that four blocks in the Mannar Basin, covering an area of nearly 34,000 square kilometers, are to be offered to international energy companies for exploration activities.
During the proceedings, Dr. Neil de Silva, Director General of the Petroleum Development Authority, explained the current status of oil and gas resources discovered in the Mannar Basin to date. He noted that previous explorations successfully confirmed the presence of petroleum and natural gas in the Mannar Basin through the discovery of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquid hydrocarbons.
Given that a large portion of the area remains unexplored, international companies now have the opportunity to gather data and conduct exploration using modern geophysical methods and advanced technologies. Dr. de Silva also mentioned that access will be provided to review the geological data of the Mannar Basin currently held by the Authority.
Furthermore, he stated that existing data estimates indicate potential yields of up to 2 billion barrels of crude oil and 9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas from the Mannar Basin through extraction.
An opportunity was also provided for media Q&A sessions. Addressing the gathering, Minister of Ports, Civil Aviation, and Energy Anura Karunatilake extended an open invitation to experienced international companies to participate in the Mannar Basin exploration activities and become long-term partners, as the government continues to take vital steps forward in energy development.
The investment promotion program for this initiative is scheduled to commence at the World Energy Summit in London on September 29 and 30, 2026.
