The Sri Lankan Government, through the Petroleum Development Authority of Sri Lanka (PDASL), has invited qualified energy companies to assess four offshore exploration blocks in the Mannar Basin under its 2026 licensing round, SL2026-01.
The acreage covers around 33,964km² in waters ranging from approximately 100m to 3,000m deep.
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The blocks are located in a basin where earlier drilling identified gas and condensate and provided evidence of a working petroleum system.
However, only a limited number of exploration wells have been drilled across the wider Mannar Basin, which covers around 42,000km² offshore western Sri Lanka.
Cairn Lanka drilled four exploration wells between 2011 and 2013. The Dorado and Barracuda wells encountered gas and condensate, demonstrating that hydrocarbons had been generated, migrated and accumulated in the basin.
PDASL director-general Neil DeSilva said: “Previous exploration has demonstrated the presence of a working petroleum system in the Mannar Basin.
“The combination of substantial available acreage, technical information and Sri Lanka’s strengthened regulatory framework provides international explorers with a compelling opportunity to take a fresh look at the basin.”
The Mannar Basin forms part of a rift system associated with the break-up of Gondwana.
More than two decades of exploration, along with regional geological and geophysical work and 2D and 3D seismic surveys, have added to the understanding of its subsurface structure.
Technical studies have identified potential source rock intervals in the Mesozoic succession, including Upper Jurassic, Aptian/Albian and Upper Cretaceous formations.
Geochemical analysis and basin modelling also indicate potential for hydrocarbon generation.
Previous wells encountered sandstone reservoirs, while seismic interpretation has identified possible deep-water channels, submarine fans and related depositional systems.
The blocks on offer are 2026-MB-01 (5,948.95km²); 2026-MB-02 (5,689.05km²); 2026-MB-03 (10,597.67km²); and 2026-MB-04 (11,728.30km²).
According to PDASL, companies can access geological and geophysical information through the licensing round’s data room, including historical exploration results, seismic data, reprocessing and other geophysical datasets.
PDASL was established under Sri Lanka’s Petroleum Resources Act, No. 21 of 2021. It regulates petroleum exploration and development, manages the country’s petroleum resources and supports international investment in the sector.
