Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd (ReconAfrica) has confirmed it is on schedule to drill its largest oil and gas prospect to date—Prospect I—located in Petroleum Exploration Licence 073 (PEL 73) in northeastern Namibia.
The company announced that the well is expected to be spudded during the current quarter, targeting significant prospective hydrocarbon resources both in oil and gas.
“We remain on track to spud the well this quarter and are looking forward to unlocking the significant potential of the Damara Fold Belt,” said Brian Reinsborough, President and CEO of ReconAfrica.
According to a recent independent resource assessment by Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc. (NSAI), Prospect I—classified as Location 63—holds an estimated 365 million barrels of unrisked and 32 million barrels of risked prospective light to medium oil resources.
Alternatively, it may contain up to 1.9 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of unrisked and 140 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of risked prospective natural gas.
Reinsborough said the company is optimistic about the upcoming drilling campaign, citing momentum gained from its recent Naingopo exploration well.
“We are excited to be making great progress ahead of drilling one of the Company’s largest and most attractive prospects. The results of the Naingopo exploration well announced in January 2025 increased our confidence in the potential for Prospect I,” he said.
He further noted that pre-construction activities for the new well are currently underway, with pre-drill evaluations already completed.
The well is expected to reach a depth of 3,800 metres, with the option to drill deeper depending on geological findings.
“The learnings from the Naingopo exploration well have improved our understanding of the Damara Fold Belt with respect to our geologic model including time and depth migration for the Mulden and Otavi sections,” Reinsborough said.
The oil exploration company also revealed that the Otavi formation, one of the key geological targets, is expected to range between 1,500 to 1,800 metres in thickness.
During the Naingopo campaign, ReconAfrica encountered over 50 metres of reservoir-quality carbonates with oil shows in the Otavi section.
ReconAfrica currently holds petroleum licences covering approximately 8 million contiguous acres in the Kalahari Desert across northeastern Namibia and northwestern Botswana.
