LEES 2026 will host a UK-Libya Roundtable, spotlighting renewed British investment across Libya’s energy and infrastructure sectors
The upcoming Libya Energy & Economic Summit (LEES) 2026 – taking place in Tripoli from January 24-26 – will host a dedicated UK-Libya Roundtable, convened by the Libyan British Business Council (LBBC) and the UK Embassy in Libya. The roundtable comes at a time when British companies are advancing strategic re-entry into active exploration, redevelopment and infrastructure delivery across Libya’s energy sector.
As a non-political body promoting bilateral trade between the UK and Libya, the LBBC continues to facilitate market access through trade delegations, regulatory support and strategic engagement with Libyan institutions. In addition to the UK-Libya Roundtable, LEES 2026 will feature a dedicated UK national pavilion, providing a platform for UK firms across upstream, midstream, services and infrastructure development.
As of January 2026, British major bp is undergoing its most significant operational expansion in Libya since 2007. The company is preparing, alongside operator Eni, to spud Libya’s first-ever deepwater exploration well in the offshore Sirte Basin, targeting a gas prospect at approximately 1,900m of water depth. bp is also progressing plans for further onshore exploration in the Ghadames Basin during 2026 following its pre-qualification for Libya’s first international licensing round in 18 years. These activities position the supermajor as a cornerstone partner in supporting the country’s state-owned National Oil Corporation’s (NOC) objective of reaching two million barrels per day (bpd) by 2030.
Shell is likewise transitioning into active technical assessment phases in early 2026 following its re-engagement with Libya. The company is advancing feasibility studies on the Al-Atshan field near the Algerian border and evaluating additional NOC-owned assets requiring modernization to support production.
These activities build on a series of strategic milestones achieved in 2025. bp and Shell both signed memoranda of understanding with the NOC in July 2025 to evaluate large-scale field redevelopment, exploration opportunities and infrastructure modernization, while confirming plans to reopen permanent offices in Tripoli to manage expanding project portfolios. Over the same period, bilateral UK-Libya trade reached £2.5 billion, reflecting renewed commercial confidence following regulatory and institutional stabilization.
Against this backdrop, LEES 2026 comes at a pivotal moment for UK-Libya energy cooperation, with the roundtable set to provide a structured forum to consolidate this momentum and advance long-term partnerships supporting Libya’s production growth, infrastructure renewal and investment-led recovery.
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