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May 2026 | Carbon Minefields Oil and Gas Exploration Monitor

For the second month in a row, the United States has dominated new licensing activity, awarding 74 new exploration licences in April alone. If fully combusted this could emit 35.5 MtCO2.

Newsletter May 28, 2026

April 2026 | Carbon Minefields Oil and Gas Exploration Monitor

In March 2026, 91 oil and gas exploration licences were awarded across three countries, giving companies access to resources that would emit an estimated 93.1 MtCO2 if burned.

Newsletter April 30, 2026

March 2026 | Carbon Minefields Oil and Gas Exploration Monitor

In February 2026, governments across three countries awarded six new oil and gas exploration licences, unlocking an estimated 43.3 MtCO₂ of potential end-use emissions.

Newsletter March 26, 2026

February 2026 | Carbon Minefields Oil and Gas Exploration Monitor

61 new oil and gas exploration licences were granted in January 2026, containing an estimated 96.3 MtCO₂. Norway led the expansion, awarding licences containing roughly 40.3 million barrels of oil and 1,031.1 billion cubic feet of gas.

Newsletter February 26, 2026

January 2026 | Carbon Minefields Oil and Gas Exploration Monitor

Global markets are expected to be oversupplied in the coming years, yet production is set to expand again in 2026, with the United States and Brazil leading the charge.

Newsletter January 28, 2026

October 2025 | Carbon Minefields Oil and Gas Exploration Monitor

Approximately 30,000 square kilometres of acreage were awarded in September, exclusively in offshore blocks located along West Africa’s coast.

Newsletter October 30, 2025

September 2025 | Carbon Minefields Oil and Gas Exploration Monitor

As of August 2025, the oil and gas volumes in licences issued so far this year are the highest seen at this point in the year over the past 5 years. Nearly half of these licences went to national oil companies.

Newsletter September 25, 2025

August 2025 | Carbon Minefields Oil and Gas Exploration Monitor

Last month, governments awarded 14 new oil and gas exploration licences across four countries, unlocking reserves that—if burned—would emit roughly 48.3 MtCO2.

Newsletter August 21, 2025

Oil and Gas Expansion in the Colombian Amazon

This report examines the economic and wider risks of continued oil and gas expansion in the Colombian Amazon, a region of immense ecological and cultural significance.

Report August 19, 2025

July 2025 | Carbon Minefields Oil and Gas Exploration Monitor

Last month, governments across five countries granted 55 new oil and gas exploration licences, locking in reserves whose eventual combustion would unleash roughly 382.4 MtCO2.

Newsletter July 24, 2025

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