Shell Advances Libya Oil Field Studies as Global Majors Return

Shell is expected to submit an assessment report on several Libyan oil and gas fields to the National Oil Corporation (NOC) before the end of May, according to Libya Herald, which cited NOC Chairman Masoud Suleiman.

The timeline was discussed during a meeting in London involving Shell executives and NOC technical teams. Shell reportedly presented progress on studies linked to a number of onshore fields owned by the NOC, including the Al-Atshan field in southern Libya near the Algerian border.

Details of the presentation were not made public, but the work forms part of a memorandum of understanding signed between Shell and the NOC in July 2025. At the time, the NOC said the agreement focused on evaluating the development potential of the fields and their future production capacity.

International Oil Majors Return to Libya

Shell’s latest engagement comes as international oil majors continue returning to Libya after years of limited activity caused by political instability and security concerns.

In July 2025, BP signed a memorandum of understanding with the NOC to study the development potential of the Sarir and Messla fields in the Sirte Basin, two of Libya’s largest oil-producing assets.

A month later, ExxonMobil agreed to carry out technical studies on four offshore blocks near Libya’s northwestern coastline and in the Sirte Basin. The move marked the company’s return to Libya after being absent from the country for more than a decade.

Chevron also entered the picture earlier this year. In April 2026, the NOC signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. oil major to assess hydrocarbon potential across the Sirte, Murzuq, and Ghadames basins as Libya pushes to attract more upstream investment.

Libya Pushes Production Growth

The renewed interest from major energy companies follows Libya’s first oil and gas exploration licensing round in almost 20 years, launched in March 2025. The licensing process included 22 onshore and offshore blocks, with more than 37 companies reportedly prequalified, among them Shell, BP, ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies, Eni, and QatarEnergy.

Libya is aiming to increase oil production from around 1.4 million barrels per day to 2 million barrels per day by 2028, with the NOC positioning foreign investment and field redevelopment as a key part of that target.