Coupled with favourable fiscal incentives, Namibia has drawn many oil majors, including Tullow, Total, GALP, Shell, ONGC and ExxonMobil. A coming industry boom is anticipated, thus establishing itself more prominently on the international oil and gas map
The Wingat-1 discovery by HRT in 2013, which encountered rich oil-bearing source rocks in the Walvis Basin, was the start of this change and, in the years since the country has become a much more attractive proposition for oil exploration.
Namibia’s competitive petroleum exploration scene has also helped the state-owned National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR) to take a stand in shaping the country’s prospects. With a 10% interest in multiple international companies operating in the country, NAMCOR is ready to help Namibia become one of the leading petroleum-producing countries on the continent.
“Namibia’s growing oil and gas sector is likely to transform the country’s economy,” said Maggy Shino, petroleum commissioner for Namibia. “We anticipate discussing these developments with our stakeholders at Africa Oil Week in Dubai in November with Hon. Minister Tom Alweendo, Minister of Mines and Energy who has also confirmed his presence. Having the event in Dubai offers a new opportunity to engage with Middle East investors and operators in 2022; we understand that hosting the event in Dubai this year is a sensible and defensible decision given the current pandemic.”
Promising opportunities
With the anticipation of the results from the upcoming drilling of the Venus well by Total offshore in the Orange Basin, the future for the Namibian oil industry looks bright indeed.
However, it is the current results obtained from northern Namibia, on the border of Botswana and Angola, where exploration is yielding exciting results. ReconAfrica has drilled two stratigraphic test wells in the Namibian petroleum licence area to date, both of which have revealed evidence of a working conventional petroleum system. The company plans to drill additional wells to determine if this sedimentary basin will yield commercially viable petroleum accumulations. The current drilling campaign by ReconAfrica has enhanced the understanding of the hydrocarbon potential onshore northern Namibia.
"By collaborating with international companies with both technical and financial capabilities, we will unlock the discovery of commercially viable hydrocarbon reserves and thereby enhance economic development in the country,” said Maggy Shino.
“We look forward to working with NAMCOR as we jointly endeavour to unlock the potential of Namibia’s vast national resources, providing jobs, economic growth and long-term responsible resource development, which includes significant contributions to the social and environmental aspirations of the country,” added Scot Evans, CEO of ReconAfrica.
In addition to creating jobs for more than 200 Namibians currently, the partnership will also present further economic opportunities, including taxes and potential future royalties. The two companies have also committed to adopting stringent health, safety and environment plan that will guide operations.
Mitigating risks
“For Namibia, the contamination of groundwater is a real risk, and it needs to be managed very well,” commented Piet Smit from the Environmental Assessment Professionals Association of Namibia.
While ReconAfrica and NAMCOR’s collaboration serves as an excellent example of the clamour to invest in the Namibian oil and gas sector before its scale is understood, all possible risks need to be mitigated. Together with the Namibian government, all parties must find a sustainable balance between the needs of the oil and gas industry, and the needs of the country’s people, to realise the full potential of attracting investment in this area.
Namibia’s energy minister, the country’s petroleum commissioner, Namcor and ReconAfrica will all be attending Africa Oil Week from 8-11 November 2021 at its temporary location in Dubai.
