Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd. (ReconAfrica) has provided an update on its operations regarding Petroleum Exploration Licence 073 (PEL 73) in onshore Namibia
Brian Reinsborough, president and CEO of Reconnaissance Energy Africa, commented, "We continue to make progress on the drilling of the Naingopo exploration well on PEL 73 onshore Namibia. We have set our last casing point prior to drilling into the Otavi reservoir section. We encountered slower drilling rates in the deeper section of the Mulden formation and experienced tight hole conditions while setting casing, which has caused delays to our original schedule. As part of the planned drilling program, we are switching out the blowout preventer to 10,000 psi ahead of drilling deeper intervals. Drilling will commence in the coming days and we expect soon thereafter to penetrate the primary objective of the Damara Fold Belt play, the Otavi carbonate reservoir. We plan to be drilling through October before reaching total depth and will disclose well results after thorough analysis of the logs and any obtained fluids. Construction operations are proceeding on schedule to spud the Kambundu exploration well (Prospect P). This well is expected to spud following the completion of the Naingopo exploration well."
Exploration activities
The Naingopo well targets 181 million barrels of unrisked prospective light/medium oil resources or 937 billion cubic feet of natural gas resources, based on the latest estimates from Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc. (NSAI). The well will be drilled to a depth of approximately 3,800 metres (12,500 feet) and is expected to encounter five Otavi reservoir intervals targeting both oil and gas. Success could unlock further drilling opportunities and potentially access multiple drill-ready prospects.
Construction of the access road and well pad for the second Damara Fold Belt exploration well, Kambundu (Prospect P), is progressing as planned, with drilling expected to begin in late November or early December 2024.
The Kambundu well (Prospect P) is also targeting significant resources, with estimates of 309 million barrels of unrisked prospective light/medium oil or 1.6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, based on NSAI's report.
There is no guarantee that any resources will be discovered, and if they are, there is no certainty that they will be commercially viable. Prospective resources refer to the estimated recoverable quantities from undiscovered accumulations, and both discovery and development carry inherent risks.
In addition, the company has recently obtained an Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC) to conduct a 3D seismic survey on PEL 73. The seismic program, targeting the Kavango Rift Basin play, is slated to begin in the first quarter of 2025.
ReconAfrica's latest developments onshore Namibia
ReconAfrica updates operations on Namibia’s PEL 73, targeting major oil and gas prospects with Naingopo and Kambundu wells in the Damara Fold Belt. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
