The analysis on the geological potential and strengthening the legal and regulatory framework Dominican marked the central axis of the First Hydrocarbon Exploration and Exploitation Forumorganized by the Ministry of Energy and Mines, where national and international specialists debated the future of oil exploration in the Dominican Republic.
The activity was headed by Minister Joel Santos and coordinated by the Vice Ministry of Hydrocarbons, as part of the technical agenda prior to the launch of the Second Oil Round 2026-2028, which is scheduled to begin in November of this year.
One of the central spaces of the forum was the panel “Hydrocarbon Exploration in the Dominican Republic: Geological Potential and New Frontiers”, in which the Vice Minister of Hydrocarbons, Noel Báez Paredes, participated; the international geologist César Lugo; the director of the National Geological Service, Edwin Rafael García Cocco and the president of The Leading Light in Energy, Carlos Moreno.
During the exchange the current state of knowledge was addressed geological and geophysical of the Dominican territory, the role of the State in the generation, administration and access to technical information, as well as the lessons learned from seismic, gravimetric and magnetic studies carried out in different sedimentary basins.
The panelists agreed on the identification of new exploratory areas in the Caribbean and on the need to attract responsible investment that allows verifying the functioning of the national oil system, under technical, environmental and sustainability criteria.
Previously, Lugo gave the keynote lecture “Hydrocarbon Exploration in the Dominican Republic: present, challenges and opportunities,” in which he explained the methodologies applied to the geochemical study of the four sedimentary basins identified in the country, as well as the main technical challenges associated with their eventual development.
Legal framework, legal security and social license
The second panel, titled “Legal and regulatory framework for hydrocarbons in the Dominican Republic and challenges for exploration and exploitation,” focused the debate on the regulatory update and institutional challenges of the sector.
The director of Regulation, Importation and Use of Hydrocarbons, Wandy Tejada, participated in that space; the economist Henri Hebrard; the vice minister of attention and collaboration to the justice system of the Ministry of Justice, Pedro Montilla and the lawyer expert in mining, energy and hydrocarbons, Alberto Reyes.
The experts analyzed the evolution of the Dominican legal framework, the importance of strengthening legal security to attract investment, the environmental and social challenges associated with oil exploration, as well as the need to consolidate the social license and improve the country’s competitiveness compared to other emerging markets.
The president of the Board of Directors of Refinería Dominicana de Petróleo, Samuel Pereyra, also participated in the activity; the vice minister of Innovation and Energy Transition, Betty Soto; the Vice Minister of Nuclear Energy, Gaddis Corporán; the general manager of the SENI Coordinating Body, Manuel López San Pablo; the general director of Mining, Rolando Muñoz, as well as representatives of public institutions and the private sector linked to the energy industry.
