HOUSTON, TEXAS — August 19, 2026 — The Office of the Special Envoy for U.S. Trade & Investment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Liberia, participated in the Liberia 2026 Oil & Gas Direct Negotiation Licensing Round Preview in Houston, bringing Liberia’s emerging petroleum opportunities directly to members of the international energy and investment community.
Hon. Isaac E. Taggart, Jr., Special Envoy for U.S. Trade & Investment, delivered the welcome and opening remarks on behalf of the Government of Liberia and extended greetings from his Principal, H.E. Sara Beysolow Nyanti, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Dean of the Cabinet.
The engagement, convened by the Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRA) in collaboration with Energy Capital & Power, brought together investors, energy executives, technical experts, and strategic partners for direct engagement around Liberia’s petroleum sector and the country’s next phase of exploration.
In his remarks, Special Envoy Taggart positioned the engagement within Liberia’s broader effort to deepen commercial ties with the United States and attract credible, long-term investment.
“We are not here simply to promote an opportunity. We are here to begin a conversation about partnership,” Taggart said. “What converts potential into progress is the combination of credible institutions, capable operators, responsible investment, sound governance, and relationships built on trust.”
The Special Envoy emphasized that his Office will continue working alongside LPRA to support serious investor engagement beyond the Houston program, helping connect qualified companies and investors with the appropriate Government institutions and facilitating pathways from initial interest toward diligence, commercial engagement, and ultimately investment.
He further underscored that Liberia is seeking investment that is both commercially sound and capable of generating lasting value for the Liberian people, while recognizing the importance of creating an environment in which responsible investors can evaluate opportunities and deploy capital with confidence.
Following the opening remarks, Hon. Marilyn Teta Logan, Director General of the Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority, presented LPRA’s strategic vision for Liberia’s petroleum sector and the next licensing round. Under Director General Logan’s stewardship, LPRA has concluded Liberia’s first major petroleum agreements in more than a decade, marking an important period of renewed momentum for the country’s offshore exploration prospects.
The Houston engagement comes at a strategically important moment in Liberia’s U.S. investment diplomacy and serves as a precursor to the Houston stop of the Invest in Liberia Roadshow, spearheaded by the Office of the Special Envoy for U.S. Trade & Investment.
The Roadshow is designed to move beyond traditional investment promotion by convening curated engagements between Liberia and U.S. investors, operators, financial institutions, and strategic partners around priority opportunities in energy and power, infrastructure, critical minerals, ports and logistics, agriculture and agro-processing, and other areas of national economic importance.
The Office will continue building upon the relationships established through the petroleum engagement as part of its broader effort to strengthen U.S.–Liberia commercial relations and convert investor interest into measurable economic activity.
“Our objective is not simply to attract investment into one sector. It is to build a deeper and more diversified commercial relationship between Liberia and the United States,” Taggart said.