The National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL) has announced that it is conducting a detailed scientific investigation into a reported hydrocarbon seep in Nevren Tan, Beon Town, and Grand Bassa County-an area located roughly 7.6 miles inland within the Roberts-Bassa Basin.
According to NOCAL, two technical field missions were recently carried out to verify the seep report and gather baseline geological data. The teams conducted on-site reconnaissance, surface geology assessments, and initial sampling to evaluate the area’s petroleum potential.
This region is not entirely new to oil exploration interest. Historical reconnaissance work, including airborne gravity and magnetic surveys conducted in 2010 by Simba Energy-the only company holding an onshore reconnaissance license at the time, identified signs of possible oil seepage, suggesting that the Roberts, Bassa Basin could hold commercially viable hydrocarbon deposits.
Building on these earlier findings, a joint team of NOCAL geoscientists and technicians from the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) undertook two days of intensive work.
Their activities included field observations, a review of historical datasets, soil sampling, and geological mapping. Preliminary analysis indicates that the seep area corresponds with the known structural and stratigraphic features of the basin.
Samples collected during the mission are now undergoing laboratory geochemical testing. These analyses will determine the API gravity of the fluid-classifying it as sweet or sour-and will include biomarker profiling to identify the fluid’s origin, composition, and likely migration pathways.
NOCAL says final conclusions will only be drawn once laboratory results and field findings are fully integrated.
The corporation emphasized the high level of public interest surrounding the discovery but cautioned government officials, media institutions, community leaders, and public figures against issuing unverified or speculative statements.
NOCAL notes that premature conclusions risk undermining both the scientific process and public confidence in the results.
The company reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and pledged to release a comprehensive, evidence-based report once the technical assessment is complete.
