NUPRC appoints new chief executive.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission announces fresh ambitions with the appointment of the new commission chief executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, who delivers clear message to advance the country’s upstream oil and gas sector in line with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 

While conducting her first town hall meeting with the Commission management and staff, the new executive disclosed plans to give the Commission a shake up and boost investments in the upstream sector. 

As she is giving special emphasis on production optimisation and increased gas output from Nigeria, Eyesan said, "The goal is that we must enable the industry, we are regulators. We must enable the industry from our interactions with the stakeholders, from our interactions with everybody.

“My main objective is to ensure that we make a difference. I believe the NUPRC is at the Center of the industry.”

The chief executive brings an extensive experience for more than three decades in the oil and gas sector, which she will be leveraging to increase digitalisation, transparency and efficiency in operations.

The CCE said with the support of staff and management, the NUPRC will become the gold-standard regulator in Africa. She also promised capacity development, stronger technical depth and sustained engagement with stakeholders, unions and professional teams.

On leadership style, the CCE promised an open-door policy and frequent staff engagement. Eyesan also solicited for support and cooperation as the industry embarks on the next phase of transformation.

“If we work together we can unleash opportunities, I don’t see impediments only opportunities,” she said.

National Energy Compact will have a significant contribution in advancing the Mission 300.

Namibia inches ahead towards the Mission 300 -- a World Bank Group and African Development Bank-led initiative as it announces the launch of its National Energy Compact

A strategic framework to solidify the country's participation in the global initiative, the National Energy Compact will have a significant contribution in advancing the Mission 300 -- an initiative to make electricity accessible to 300 million people across sub-Saharan Africa by 2030.

Namibia's Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy, Modestus Amutse, has introduced the compact that aims to reduce Namibia's reliance on imported electricity. 

Alongside Mission 300, the compact is also relevant to Namibia's Sixth National Development Plan, which aims to bring together 200,000 households. It will also be advancing the National Integrated Resource Plan that has been put in place to achieve 80% electricity self-sufficiency and 70% renewable energy penetration.

Namibia presently generates around 40% of its power domestically, with the remaining 60% sourced from neighboring countries. 

In the exploration and production front, which is also one of the primary backbone to Namibia's power industry, several players are announcing promising revenues. The latest instance for this is Reconnaissance Energy Africa which has reported a productive 2025 in its year-end corporate operational performance. “We have had an active and productive 2025 in which we advanced the Company on multiple strategic fronts. We completed drilling our second well in the Damara Fold Belt resulting in encountering of significant hydrocarbons...While recently visiting Namibia after our Kavango West 1X well results, the partnership group operated by ReconAfrica and including NAMCOR and BW Energy, had the privilege of meeting Her Excellency President Nandi-Ndaitwah. We are grateful for the President’s recognition of the significance of hydrocarbons encountered in the Kavango West well and how the partnership can help support onshore hydrocarbon development and the long-term energy supply for Namibia,” said Brian Reinsborough, President and CEO.

The partnership signifies the region's exploration expansion. (Image source: Egypt's Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources)

Egypt's Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources has entered into a new oil and natural gas exploration agreement with British company Terra Petroleum 

The partnership signifies the region's exploration expansion and production optimisation ambitions as Terra Petroleum steps into the region for the first time.

The contract gives Terra Petroleum access to the Northwest Maghra concession of the Western Desert to drill three wells, leading up to initial investments of approximately US$6.5mn. Additionally, the contract also leaves scope for two-dimensional and three-dimensional seismic surveys at the concession area.

Speaking of the deal, Minister of Petroleum Karim Badawi said that the agreement stands testament to the growing interests of international companies towards the region and their willingness for investment. As it builds trust in the Egyptian petroleum sector's investment climate, the Ministry is actively addressing policies and developments to support an encouraging work environment for global investors, and accelerate oil exploration and production rates.

Players in Egypt has been experiencing big developments in the exploration and production front with Dana Petroleum being the latest example. It has recently made a significant gas discovery following the drilling of the North El-Basant 1 exploratory well in Egypt’s onshore Nile Delta. 

Richard Hall, CEO, Dana Gas, said, “The latest drilling success reinforces the value of our investment programme in Egypt and highlights the significant remaining potential within the Nile Delta. The North El Basant-6 result builds on the momentum of our earlier wells and supports our efforts to increase domestic gas supply and reserves. By increasing local gas production, the programme will help reduce Egypt’s reliance on imported LNG and fuel oil and is expected to generate more than one billion dollars in savings for the national economy over time."

The company will be conducting a production test on Kavango West 1X.

As Reconnaissance Energy Africa reports a productive 2025 in its year-end corporate operational performance, the company is preparing to conduct a well test in Damara Fold Belt offshore Namibia

“We are preparing to conduct a production test on Kavango West 1X, which will allow us to conduct a longer flow period and pressure buildup analysis to better calculate potential production rates and reserve estimates. Early planning suggests that we may test up to eight separate reservoir intervals of interest,” said Nick Steinsberger, Senior Vice President Drilling & Completions.

Unlike the usual process, the partners are prioritising production testing over a drill stem test to allow for more controlled testing of isolated intervals of interest. This way better addressed the operational challenges posed by a 2,000-m open hole section in adequately testing the entire gross Otavi reservoir at one time.

Production casing and testing equipment are being sourced before testing operations can be commenced in the first quarter of 2026. In a span of roughly two months, up to eight zones of interest will be evaluated. 

Wireline logging from the Huttenberg and Elandshoek formations within the Upper Otavi Group have also indicated promising results. Well analysis from the Elandshoek sections shows 81 m of hydrocarbon fluorescence found in cuttings, a clear indicator of hydrocarbons. Indications of fracturing were pervasive based on well logs.

Also, rapid increases in gas readings after drilling connections indicated hydrocarbons flowing actively towards the wellbore.

“We have had an active and productive 2025 in which we advanced the Company on multiple strategic fronts. We completed drilling our second well in the Damara Fold Belt resulting in encountering of significant hydrocarbons, extended our acreage position into Angola at a low cost of entry and expanded our asset portfolio into offshore Gabon to help balance our investment risk profile. These actions set the Company up for several important milestones in 2026.

We are preparing for the production test at Kavango West 1X next year after only our second exploration well drilled in the Damara Fold Belt, a unique position to be in when exploring a new basin. Our teams are working on procuring the equipment needed for this test which is expected to commence operations by the end of the first quarter of 2026.

While recently visiting Namibia after our Kavango West 1X well results, the partnership group operated by ReconAfrica and including NAMCOR and BW Energy, had the privilege of meeting Her Excellency President Nandi-Ndaitwah. We are grateful for the President’s recognition of the significance of hydrocarbons encountered in the Kavango West well and how the partnership can help support onshore hydrocarbon development and the long-term energy supply for Namibia,” said Brian Reinsborough, President and CEO.