BW Energy published the final results of the Kharas-1 appraisal well in the Kudu license offshore Namibia. The well reached 5,100 meters using Odfjell Drilling’s Deepsea Mira rig and successfully achieved all technical targets, intersecting several reservoir layers. Shallow turbidite zones contained dry gas, while deeper fractured volcaniclastic layers revealed liquid hydrocarbons for the first time in Kudu, including condensate and light oil.
CEO Carl Arnet said the well successfully tested multiple targets in a single borehole and provided valuable data. He highlighted that the confirmed presence of liquids improves understanding of the basin’s petroleum system. The well will now be plugged and abandoned as planned. BW Energy will focus on high-value prospects that combine gas and liquids, with new appraisal wells expected in 2026 and 2027.
The results arrive as BW Energy completes a major leadership overhaul to strengthen its African operations. In September 2025, Brice Morlot became COO, Thomas Young took over as CFO, and management was reorganized to accelerate developments on the continent. BW Energy’s African portfolio, anchored by Gabon’s Dussafu hub producing 40,000 b/d and Namibia’s Kudu, now supports its target of 90,000 b/d net output by 2028 through a phased and cost-efficient approach.
Kharas-1 strengthens the path toward a final investment decision. The FID, initially planned for 2024 and later moved to 2025, now targets late 2026 in line with government timelines. Discovering liquids improves the project’s economics. Once considered a stranded dry-gas field, Kudu now offers high-value condensate and light oil that could enhance the gas-to-power concept and create export opportunities.
For Namibia, the discovery is both strategic and historic. The country still imports over 60 percent of its electricity and faces recurring shortages. With a planned first phase of 420 MW, expandable to 800 MW, Kudu could supply 50–60 percent of domestic baseload electricity while emitting less than coal. Extra power could be exported through the Southern African Power Pool. As the only shallow-water gas project expected to produce before the end of the decade, Kudu is set to become Namibia’s first commercial hydrocarbon development.
The project will also create jobs, generate fiscal revenues, provide local contracting opportunities, and transfer essential skills. With estimated resources in the Orange Basin of 11–20 billion boe and a national target to achieve first commercial output by 2030, Kudu could transform Namibia from a net energy importer into a regional exporter and drive long-term infrastructure and energy transition investments.
source: www.ecofinagency.com
African Energy Council