
Northern Ocean has confirmed that the Deepsea Mira rig has spudded the Kharas well in the Kudu licence area offshore Namibia.
BW Energy contracted the semi-submersible rig in August to drill the appraisal well in the Orange Basin. “Exciting milestone – the Deepsea Mira has spudded the Kharas well for BW Energy in the Kudu licence offshore Namibia,” the company reported.
BW Energy holds a 95% operating interest in the Kudu production licence, with NAMCOR E&P, a subsidiary of the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia, retaining a 5% carried interest.
The project is being undertaken under a rig-sharing agreement managed by Northern Ocean Ltd., with Rhino Resources Ltd. also participating.
The contract, signed by BW Kudu Ltd., secures access to a locally stationed rig and an experienced Orange Basin team. The project is also expected to benefit from a high level of local content.
BW Energy said the Kudu gas development forms part of its strategy to target proven offshore reserves through phased, lower-risk developments, aimed at shortening time to first production and cutting capital expenditure by using existing infrastructure across its assets in Gabon, Brazil and Namibia.