A well was drilled in Orange Basin block 2913A at 2914B (PEL 0039). The drilling process started in December 2022 and was successfully completed in early March 2023.
OPEC member Angola’s southern neighbor Namibia could become another oil producer on the continent’s Atlantic coast if new discoveries are made.
NAMCOR and its partners using the Odfjell Deepsea Bollsta semi-submersible rig discovered light oil in the hydrocarbon-rich Orange Basin, blocks 2913A and 2914B, offshore Namibia, at a depth of 6,168 meters in a total depth of 210 meters in water.
“The well’s encouraging results are geological evidence of the huge hydrocarbon potential of the deepwater play in the Orange Basin. We look forward to appraisal activities and our collaborative relationship with our joint venture partner and our shareholder, the Government of the Republic of Namibia, to fully assess the commerciality of this important oil discovery.” said Victoria Sibeya, Executive of Upstream Exploration, NAMCOR.
To analyze the existing hydrocarbon reserves in the project, NAMCOR, Shell and Qatar Energy will further drill and verify the data obtained from the exploration project. Shell Namibia, the block’s operator, holds a 45% stake, followed by Qatar Energy with 45% and NAMCOR with 10%.
“We are pleased to announce this third oil discovery following the success of the Graph-1X and Venus-1X discoveries by Shell and Total Energies (TTEF.PA) in 2022,” The Managing Director of NAMCOR, Emmanuel Mulunga disclosed this through a statement.
Namibia is one of the few African countries looking to push into the global oil market. After the Russia/Ukraine conflict, oil exploration has soared across Africa, with hopes in countries like Uganda and Tanzania.
