Shell is preparing to drill another ultra-deepwater well offshore Namibia as the oil major continues its exploration programme in the Orange Basin following encouraging results from its Merlin discovery earlier this year.
Shell Namibia Country Chair Eduardo Rodriguez Tamayo said the company had completed five months of preparations for the drilling campaign involving the Stena DrillMAX drillship, with operations approaching the start of drilling.
“Being spud ready in five months is no easy task, and it has taken a true One Team effort. A big thank you to the Namibian Government for its support in achieving the regulatory requirements, our JV partners QatarEnergy and NAMCOR, our contractors, suppliers, and the many multidisciplinary Shell teams who have worked tirelessly to get us here,” he said.
The drilling campaign follows Shell’s Merlin-1X exploration well, which was spudded on 8 April 2026 under Petroleum Exploration Licence 39 (PEL 39).
The well encountered a good-quality reservoir containing light oil with limited associated gas, with Shell describing the results as its most promising subsurface findings on the licence to date.
The company is continuing to evaluate the commercial potential of its offshore discoveries, although it has not disclosed whether the latest drilling campaign will target the Merlin discovery or another prospect.
Shell operates PEL 39 in partnership with QatarEnergy and the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR).
Rodriguez Tamayo said he recently visited the Stena DrillMAX alongside Shell’s Global Frontier Wells General Manager, Natalya Hines, and met shore-based contractors supporting preparations for the campaign.
“It never ceases to amaze me how much work, coordination and effort goes into getting ready to safely drill an ultra deepwater well,” he said.
The Stena DrillMAX departed Las Palmas on 6 October for Namibia, with the vessel previously expected to arrive on 25 October.
The UK-flagged drillship, built in 2007, is designed to conduct drilling operations in deepwater environments and has previously been deployed on exploration and appraisal programmes offshore South America, including Suriname.
Stena Drilling has also deployed its Health, Safety and Environment team to Namibia to conduct SafeStart workshops with crew members ahead of the drilling programme.
Rodriguez Tamayo said the campaign was being supported by Namibian workers and businesses, with local participation extending across offshore and shore-based operations.
“It was also great to see Namibians actively participating both onshore and offshore, and the growing involvement of Namibian suppliers supporting the campaign,” he said.
However, Shell has not disclosed the number of Namibians employed in the programme, the value of contracts awarded to local suppliers or the expected duration of drilling operations.
The latest campaign comes as international oil companies continue exploration and appraisal activities in Namibia’s Orange Basin to determine whether offshore discoveries can support commercially viable petroleum developments.
Following its Namibia operations, the Stena DrillMAX is scheduled to undertake a drilling programme for Energean in the Mediterranean during 2027, including the Asopos-1 exploration well offshore Greece and subsequent drilling offshore Israel.
Rodriguez Tamayo said the focus remained on safely executing the upcoming drilling programme.
“When everyone is aligned behind a common goal, a lot can be achieved,” he said.
“Exciting times for Namibia. Now let’s have a safe and successful drilling campaign!
