Namibia has expressed interest to learn from Qatar, one of the richest oil and gas producing countries in the world, in the development of a National Petroleum Development Strategy.
“Namibia aims to acquire assistance from Qatar to ensure the development of a National Petroleum Development Strategy. You would rather want to already have the necessary legal framework, laws, policies and guidelines and we need to have all that in place. Even before production starts and this strategy will tell us really who will be the role players, to what extent Namibia needs to be active and will also speak to timelines,” said Ministry of Mines Spokesperson Andreas Simon.
“The country also aims to have the best policies to ensure the effective management of capital that will be acquired from oil and gas exploration and production. It will also guide us when revenues start coming, how much money or how will these monies be managed for example. Furthermore, Qatar will also assist in areas of environmental management.”
This follows a brief courtesy visit by H.E Eng. Saad Bin Sherida Al Kaabi, Minister of State for Energy Affairs in the State of Qatar, to his counterpart Tom Alweendo, Minister of Mines and Energy.
Simon noted that the meeting discussed matters pertaining to the importance of skills development in the Namibia oil and gas sector, shareholding, timelines and activities before possible production.
“H.E Eng. Saad Bin Sherida Al Kaabi, also alluded to the importance of fast and effective government processes and systems. He further touched on the importance of EPC contracts which would require close management when realising exploration and ultimately production,” explained Simon.
The latest development comes after NAMCOR Exploration and Production entered into an agreement with Qatar on oil and gas giant QatarEnergy on the heels of two recent oil discoveries in the country where both companies hold interests.
NAMCOR E&P is a subsidiary of the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR).
The two companies agreed in March this year in Doha to partner on investment opportunities of mutual interest in Namibia’s upstream oil and gas sector.
The agreement also provides the framework for cooperation between the two companies to support and develop a sustainable upstream oil and gas sector in Namibia. It also includes the provision of opportunities for the training and development of NAMCOR employees in industry-based skills.
NAMCOR Managing Director Immanuel Mulunga and Khalid Mohammed Al-Hitmi, the Executive Vice President – Subsurface Development & Exploration of QatarEnergy signed the agreement on behalf of their respective companies.
Alweendo and Al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the President & CEO of QatarEnergy witnessed the signing of the agreement.
Both companies are partners in recent oil discoveries made in Namibia’s waters, first by Shell and later by TotalEnergies.
H.E Eng. Saad Bin Sherida Al Kaabi also paid a courtesy call on President Hage Geingob.
