Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Galp Energia have announced plans to ramp up exploration activities in Namibia, while also pledging to increase local participation in the development process.
Chevron Country Manager for Namibia & Suriname, Chevron International Exploration & Production, Channa Kurukulasuriya said the company plans to drill an exploration PEL 90 this December following a record-breaking 3D seismic acquisition campaign completed in just a few months.
The rapid pace highlights the growing confidence in Namibia’s potential.
“We entered the exploration license on PEL 90 in October 2022. By Q1 2023, we completed our 3D seismic acquisition, which is a record speed in Namibia. We are planning to drill our first exploration well this year, so from license execution to drilling a well, the timeline is two years,” he said.
Meanwhile, ExxonMobil expressed a desire to replicate their successful model from Guyana, where early collaboration with local entities yielded significant benefits.
The company’s focus lies on engaging with Namibian regulators and ministries to ensure a smooth and mutually beneficial development process.
“In Guyana, we have spent $1.2 billion with local suppliers and we have over 1,500 qualified Guyanese suppliers and over 6,000 Guyanese workers contributing to these developments. That is the vision we seek to emulate in Namibia. Oil and gas will be a critical part of the global energy mix for years to come. We need to keep exploring,” ExxonMobil Upstream Director of South Atlantic Exploration, Richard Barke, said.
Galp Energia, fresh off successful discoveries in their Mopane exploration campaign also highlighted its commitment to local content.
The company emphasised utilising Namibian companies and fostering entrepreneurship within the industry.
“In the [exploration campaign] we just finished, we had 56 Namibian companies operating with us, 15% of our workforce were Namibians and 25% of the total group were females. The impact we can bring is to help entrepreneurs create solutions and activities that will be utilized by the industry,” Galp’s Head of Upstream Special Projects, Adriano Bastos, said.
