The Ministry of Mines and Energy’s Petroleum Commissioner, Maggy Shino, announced that Namibia will initiate five offshore oil drilling projects in the Orange Basin by early 2024.
The preparations and logistics are underway for drilling new wells. It has been observed that Total’s Deepsea Mira rig departed from Bergen, Norway, at the beginning of April 2023, and it is expected to reach Namibia on November 15. This rig is an enhanced and extended CS 60 E harsh environment design semi-submersible delivered by Hyundai Heavy in South Korea. To enhance exploration further, the government plans to acquire a 3D volume for onshore prospecting.
Shino said Namibia is actively seeking investors to unlock its oil and gas potential, including those with substantial resources and those possessing specialised technologies tailored to the region’s unique challenges.
NAMCOR (National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia), the national oil company of Namibia, has progressing plans to further develop the country’s oil and gas sector to meet ongoing energy demands and eradicate energy poverty, with the company setting its sights on drilling two gas and oil wells in collaboration with international oil companies in the fourth quarter of 2023 and into the first quarter of 2024.
Namibia, having already made four significant discoveries, holds substantial potential for advancing in the oil and gas sector, which has drawn the interest of international oil companies (IOCs) such as Shell and Total. The country anticipates extracting its first oil from major offshore discoveries by 2030.
