Main image: oil rig/offshore technology
Namibia is involved in another oil exploration project and the oil is discovered by Shell, Qatar Energy and the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor).
In South West Africa, the reconnaissance is reported to be taking place between Windhoek and Mariental, a distance of about 270 kilometers.
The three bodies are in a joint venture, Shell Namibia BV has 45%, Qatar Energy has 45% and Namcor has 10%, as the trio are exploring oil on their PEL0039.
According to the Namibian, the three entities discovered that light oil was being extracted from the Jonker-1X deep-water exploration well and the well was drilled into blocks 2913A and 2914B, following drilling operations that began in December 2022 and were safely completed in early March.
The Jonker-1X discovery is the third well drilled on Shell’s license within a year, and while the data obtained is reportedly being evaluated, further assessment drilling is planned to determine the size and potential of the discoverable resources.
Immanuel Mulunga, Namcor’s general manager, commented on the discovery, saying the “discovery has proven the exciting world-class potential of the deepwater Orange Basin.”
It is not yet clear whether the discovery is commercial, but Namcor’s upstream exploration executive, Victoria Sibeya, said the company looks forward to the assessment activities and collaborative relationship with the joint venture partners and the Namibian government as a shareholder, to fully exploit the commercial potential. of this important oil discovery.
Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Qatar’s minister of state for energy affairs and the president and chief executive of QatarEnergy, said he was pleased with the encouraging discovery, the third in Namibia.
“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our partners Shell and Namcor, and to congratulate and thank the Government of the Republic of Namibia, who have been very supportive of these exploration efforts,” he said.
This announcement follows two similar announcements by QatarEnergy last February of oil discoveries in the Graff-1 well and in the Venus-1X prospect, both located in the Orange Basin off the coast of Namibia.
