Pancontinental Energy has identified two new hydrocarbon prospects within its PEL 87 licence offshore Namibia, reinforcing the block’s exploration potential in the Orange Basin.
According to Pancontinental, the update follows its July 2025 resource upgrade, which expanded the company’s assessment of the project’s subsurface geology.
The company said in a technical report that the Northern Channel and Phoebe West prospects were defined using advanced seismic interpretation techniques, including Lambda Rho and Density (Rho) inversion analysis.
The methods, the company noted, provide estimates of rock porosity and hydrocarbon saturation, helping to identify potential reservoirs.
“The additional prospects were defined through Quantitative Interpretation products that indicate high-quality reservoir sands and potential hydrocarbon accumulations. Within the Northern Channel, three stacked turbidite reservoirs have been mapped, showing strong seismic anomalies that are characteristic of both coarse sand composition and hydrocarbon content,” Pancontinental said.
According to the report, the Northern Channel lies at the northern edge of the 3D seismic survey area and is supported by a structural high, which could facilitate hydrocarbon migration from the mature Kudu source kitchen to the east.
The company stated that the identified sequences are comparable in age and type to those mapped at the nearby Oryx prospect, which has demonstrated similar hydrocarbon characteristics.
“The Northern Channel’s upper and middle turbidite sequences consist of high net-to-gross coarse sands with clear Type II and Type III amplitude anomalies. These features, combined with the structural setting and proximity to the Kudu source system, make it a strong candidate for future exploration drilling,” Pancontinental said.
The Phoebe West prospect, the company added, sits directly above the Kudu source rock and forms part of the lower Albian basin-floor turbidite system.
According to the report, Phoebe West is the largest connected sand body mapped outside the Saturn Complex, featuring a fan-shaped sand sequence draped over the rift margin and localised volcanic highs.
“Phoebe West represents a significant new target overlying the Kudu source rock, displaying Type II and Type III anomalies that align closely with structural contours. It is interpreted to contain a laterally extensive sand fan that could serve as a key reservoir within the basin, highlighting the continued potential of PEL 87,” Pancontinental said.
The company added that it will continue refining its seismic interpretation and provide further updates as the PEL 87 evaluation progresses.
