Barbados Opens 19 Ultra-Deepwater Oil Blocks to Bidders Under Tightened Climate Rules

The Barbados government has opened a 2026 offshore licensing drive, offering 19 ultra-deepwater blocks to international energy firms with a pre-qualification window running to September 1. Acting Prime Minister and Energy Minister Kerrie Symmonds said bidders must meet strengthened climate and methane-management standards, and that blocks were held back for a future national energy company. Preliminary seismic surveys suggest potentially significant offshore reserves.

What this means for you: the terms tie any future oil development to Barbados’s renewable-energy and climate commitments, which will shape the island’s long-term energy costs.

Source: Barbados Today.