Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Sri Lanka Licensing Round 2026 represents an important step in our Government’s ambition to develop a modern, responsible and internationally competitive energy sector.

For companies considering investment in a new country, the quality of the opportunity must be matched by confidence in the environment in which they will operate.

Our responsibility as Government is therefore to provide clarity of policy, transparency of process and consistency in execution.

The Licensing Round is being delivered within Sri Lanka’s established National Policy and legislative framework, with clear responsibilities and coordinated implementation across Government. Our aim is to provide investors with a process that is transparent, efficient and predictable from initial evaluation through to licensing and future activity.

We also recognise that developing Sri Lanka’s offshore petroleum potential will require strong partnerships with the international energy industry.

International companies bring investment, technology, expertise and experience. Sri Lanka brings a significant frontier exploration opportunity, an improving investment environment and a Government committed to the responsible development of our natural resources.

We want companies evaluating Sri Lanka to engage openly with us. Our objective extends beyond the successful delivery of this Licensing Round. We want to establish long-term partnerships with companies that share our ambition to explore and responsibly develop Sri Lanka’s offshore potential.

Sri Lanka welcomes the international energy industry, and we look forward to working with you as partners in the next chapter of our energy sector.