Reconnaissance Energy Africa (ReconAfrica) has commenced production testing at its Kavango West 1X (KW1X) discovery in Namibia, with results expected by late July as the company moves to assess the commercial viability of hydrocarbons in the Damara Fold Belt.
ReconAfrica President and Chief Executive Officer Brian Reinsborough described the testing programme as a significant milestone for both the company and Namibia’s onshore oil and gas sector.
“We are very excited to be conducting the first cased production test in Namibia. This test is a pivotal point in unlocking the commerciality of the Damara Fold Belt and has been designed to test for hydrocarbon phase and deliverability,” Reinsborough said.
The programme will evaluate six optimised intervals across the Huttenburg and Elandshoek formations, covering approximately 420 metres of hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir.
According to Reinsborough, the Huttenburg formation contains 75 metres of net hydrocarbon pay within a 400-metre gross interval of highly fractured carbonate reservoir. The Elandshoek formation contains a 560-metre hydrocarbon-saturated section, including 81 metres showing hydrocarbon fluorescence and oil indications.
He added that oil sheen and oil bubbles were also observed at the surface in mud pits during drilling operations.
Downhole production testing is now underway after a cement bond log confirmed that the well could be tested without the need for additional cement work.
Reinsborough said perforation activities are being conducted with support from oilfield services companies SLB and Halliburton following the delivery of the required equipment to site.
While permitting requirements associated with transporting specialised testing equipment from North America resulted in minor delays, the company remains on track to release production test results by late July.
As previously announced, ReconAfrica plans to test three zones in the lower Elandshoek formation and three zones in the shallower Huttenburg formation, with each interval expected to undergo testing for up to 10 days.
Reinsborough said any natural gas or liquid hydrocarbons produced during the programme would be flared in accordance with standard industry testing procedures.
He added that, should the production test prove successful, the KW1X well would be temporarily suspended and preserved as a potential future production well.
Beyond the current testing programme, ReconAfrica is preparing for further appraisal drilling on the Kavango discovery.
“Preparations for the appraisal well are proceeding with specific permitting applications and site preparations underway for the Kavango West 2A appraisal well. We plan to spud this well before the end of the third quarter of this year pending final permitting and regulatory approvals,” he said.
Reinsborough said the commencement of testing marked the culmination of several years of exploration work undertaken by ReconAfrica and its partners, including Namcor and BW Energy.
“Our team has done a fantastic job getting operations to this stage and now that testing has commenced, we look forward to evaluating and sharing results with everyone very soon,” he said
