Namibia’s National Petroleum Corporation (NAMCOR) has announced a significant discovery of light oil in the Jonker-1X deep-water exploration well, located in the offshore region approximately 270 kilometers off the Namibian coast.
The exploration was carried out in partnership with QatarEnergy and Shell.
The Jonker-1X well was drilled in the Orange Basin, Block 2913A & 2914B (PEL 0039) using the Odfjell Deepsea Bollsta semi-submersible rig to a depth of 6,168 meters in a water depth of 2,210 meters.
The drilling started in December 2022 and was safely completed in early March 2023.
This discovery marks the third successful well drilled by Shell within a year, highlighting the great potential in the offshore region. The data collected during the exploration is currently being evaluated to determine the recoverable resources and size potential of the discovery.
“The encouraging results from the well are a geological testimony of the significant hydrocarbon potential in the deep-water play of the Orange Basin. 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,” Executive: Upstream Exploration, Victoria Sibeya said on Monday.
Managing Director of NAMCOR, Immanuel Mulunga, expressed his delight over the discovery and said that it has proven the exciting and world-class potential of the deep-water Orange Basin.
“We are delighted to announce this third oil discovery after the success of the Graff-1X and Venus-1X discoveries by Shell and TotalEnergies in 2022. This discovery has proven the exciting and world-class potential of the deep-water Orange Basin,” he said.
The Joint Venture group comprises of Shell Namibia B.V (45%), QatarEnergy (45%) and NAMCOR (10%).
The discovery is expected to boost Namibia’s oil and gas sector and contribute to the country’s economic growth.
