By Staff Reporter
WINDHOEK, March 6 — Namibia has announced the discovery of light oil in the Jonker-1X deep-water exploration well, in partnership with Shell and QatarEnergy. The well was drilled in Block 2913A & 2914B (PEL 0039) in the Orange Basin, offshore southern Namibia, and drilling operations commenced in December 2022 and were completed safely in early March 2023.
The discovery is the third well drilled on the license held by Shell within a year, and the Jonker-1X well was drilled to a total depth of 6,168 meters in a water depth of 2,210 meters. The acquired data is currently being evaluated, and further appraisal drilling is planned to determine the size and recoverable resources potential of the discovery.
NAMCOR, the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia, expressed its congratulations to its partners, Shell (Operator) and QatarEnergy, for safely drilling the Jonker-1X deep-water well. The corporation also stated that the results from the well are a geological testimony to the significant hydrocarbon potential in the deep-water play of the Orange Basin.
Executive: Upstream Exploration, Victoria Sibeya, said, “We look forward to the appraisal activities and our collaborative relationship with our Joint Venture partners and our shareholder, the Government of the Republic of Namibia, to fully assess the commerciality of this discovery.”
Managing Director of NAMCOR, Mr. Immanuel Mulunga, said that he was delighted to announce the discovery of light oil, the third oil discovery in partnership with Shell and TotalEnergies in 2022. He added that the discovery has proven the exciting and world-class potential of the deep-water Orange Basin.
The Joint Venture group comprises Shell Namibia B.V (45%), QatarEnergy (45%), and NAMCOR (10%). This recent announcement is expected to boost the country’s economic prospects and solidify Namibia’s position as an emerging player in the oil and gas sector.
