Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd. (ReconAfrica) has announced an accelerated drilling schedule for its Prospect I exploration well, moving the spud date to the second quarter of 2025.
Brian Reinsborough, President and CEO of ReconAfrica, attributed the revised timeline to significant progress in preparatory activities.
“We have made great progress in getting Prospect I ready to drill and, as a result, we are accelerating the spud date into Q2 2025,” he said.
According to ReconAfrica, the company’s in-country teams have already commenced key pre-drilling operations, including community engagement, surveying, debushing, and demining activities and this will be followed by the construction of a 10-kilometre road and a drill pad site.
Prospect I is considered one of the largest mapped structures within the Damara Fold Belt.
Reinsborough noted that the site is well-imaged using 2D seismic technology and exhibits a four-way dip closure.
“We expect to penetrate over 1,500 metres of Otavi reservoir,” he stated.
Drilling at Prospect I has been significantly de-risked following the results of the Naingopo well, the first test well in the Damara Fold Belt. Naingopo encountered reservoir in the Otavi carbonates, showed hydrocarbon indications, and brought oil to the surface, boosting confidence in further exploration. “We are excited to drill this follow-on exploration well as we continue to look to unlock the significant hydrocarbon potential of the Damara Fold Belt,” Reinsborough added.
ReconAfrica confirmed that initial surveying for the site has been completed, with debushing ongoing and demining activities scheduled for the coming weeks. The progress has allowed the company to bring forward its drilling timeline.
Prospect I is targeting 365 million barrels of unrisked and 32 million barrels of risked prospective light/medium oil resources, or 1.7 trillion cubic feet of unrisked and 126 billion cubic feet of risked prospective natural gas resources, according to the latest prospective resources report by Netherland, Sewell, & Associates, Inc.
ReconAfrica, a Canadian oil and gas exploration company, operates in the Damara Fold Belt and the Kavango Rift Basin in the Kalahari Desert, spanning northeastern Namibia and northwestern Botswana. The company holds petroleum licences covering approximately 8 million contiguous acres.
