How Reconnaissance popped Namibian oil play

Sopuruchi Onwuka

The ongoing exploration campaigns and emerging leads suggest that the international wild cat explorer, Reconnaissance Energy Africa, might have discovered a new petroleum play that could add two African nations into the global petroleum production map.

The company which updated shareholders on the prospects for its next 3-6-well drill campaign in Namibia also declared that it is concluding the initial interpretation of 450 kilometers of 2D seismic data turned in by industry services provider, Polaris, for the Kavango Basin.

From there, the company said, it plans to push additional 2D seismic data acquisition across 500-kilometers in its 8.5 million-acre exploration concession straddling Namibia and Botswana.

Reconnaissance along with its partner, Namibian state-run NAMCOR, had earlier confirmed evidence of an active petroleum system in the country’s onshore basin. And results from a second stratigraphic test well encountered 350 meters of hydrocarbon showings. 

Industry executives note that the maiden stratigraphic test drills punctured into a very thick zone of potential production or reservoir.

The first well, according to the company, encountered over 250 meters of hydrocarbon shows after drilling to a depth of 2,294 meters. The second test well returned 350 meters of hydrocarbon shows after drilling to a depth of 2,780 meters.

The Chief Executive Officer of Horizon Well Logging Inc which did the sample logging data and analysis, Doug Milham, described the results as indicative of an exploration play with “world-class potential.”

On its fresh exploration campaign, Reconnaissance said it has already delineated a “diverse group of high-quality prospects, adding that the results of data interpretation would help determine leads and location for the upcoming drill campaign.

The company said ithas also designed another huge 500-kilometer 2D seismic acquisition program, which has been submitted to the local authorities for approval and is slated to start by the end of February.

If the all permitting is approved by the Namibian government the company will roll out detailed drilling schedule that would see initial wells spudded in Q1.

“From here on out, we expect the Q1 news flow to gain significant momentum as the anticipated seismic interpretation delineates the drilling locations for an onshore oil play that has potential to put Namibia on the global conventional hydrocarbons map,” the company stated.

Reconnaissance Africa may have de-risked the biggest conventional onshore oil exploration in decades.

The 8.5 million-acre exploration rights secured by Reconnaissance spread across the Namibian border with Botswana, putting the two Africa countries on the spotlight as potential petroleum exporters.

The Oracle Today gathered from secondary sources that Reconnaissance Energy Africa has the rights to 6.3 million acres in Namibia’s portion of the giant Kavango Basin and another 2.2 million acres in neighboring Botswana.

No proven and probable reserves have been declared by either the company or the Namibian government, but industry renowned geologist, Dan Jarvie, estimates that the concession could have potential for billions of barrels of oil.

We think the sheer size and potential here demands patience, and early-in investors are probably in this for the long haul. When billions of barrels is at stake in what could be a once-in-a-lifetime exploration effort, it’s important to do things right, and by the book, including a lineup of ESG efforts that ensure this is beneficial for Namibia.

The emerging oil play may be transformational for Namibia which currently suffers from severe energy poverty required to drive government’s industrialization and poverty reduction plan.

Namibia currently imports 60% of its electricity from South Africa, and an active petroleum play would guarantee energy security and independence for the poor African country.