Reconnaissance Energy Africa (ReconAfrica) has produced hydrocarbons to the surface during production testing at its Kavango West 1X discovery well, marking what the company says is the first successful recovery of hydrocarbons from an onshore well in Namibia.
The company said production testing of the three lowest zones in the Elandshoek formation commenced on 8 June 2026, with natural gas flowing to the surface during three separate flow tests in the uppermost zone.
Hydrocarbon samples have been collected for laboratory analysis in the United States, while the remaining produced hydrocarbons were flared at the surface.
ReconAfrica President and Chief Executive Officer Brian Reinsborough described the results as a significant milestone for the company’s exploration programme.
“We are very excited to have produced hydrocarbons to surface on the Kavango West production test, which are the first hydrocarbons ever produced to surface onshore Namibia. Knowing that the Elandshoek formation had naturally fractured carbonate rocks, we are pleased to learn that those fractures support production,” Reinsborough said.
The company will now begin production testing of three zones within the Huttenberg formation, where 76 net metres of hydrocarbon pay have been identified across a 182-metre reservoir interval.
ReconAfrica expects each zone to take approximately 10 days to test, with the next operational update scheduled for late August.
According to the company, the entire 1,657-metre Otavi section, including both the Huttenberg and Elandshoek formations, has been cased and cemented, allowing six identified reservoir zones to be tested independently.
ReconAfrica is also evaluating the drilling of a horizontal or deviated sidetrack from the existing wellbore to intersect a larger fractured reservoir interval within the Elandshoek formation.
“Our operations team is working on a possible open-hole horizontal or deviated sidetrack from this wellbore to intersect a larger reservoir interval and the natural fracture network across the structure. Based on global analogue reservoirs, we believe a significant uplift in productivity rates could be realised by this operation. Our operational team is now focused on production testing the significant net hydrocarbon column in the Huttenberg formation,” Reinsborough said.
The company said the uppermost 47-metre interval of the Elandshoek formation flowed intermittently for approximately 24 hours during three production tests.
Although equipment limitations prevented accurate flow-rate measurements, tubing pressure increased to 2,300 psi before the second flow test, which ReconAfrica said demonstrates hydrocarbon deliverability from the reservoir.
Approximately eight litres of hydrocarbon samples were recovered during testing and will undergo compositional analysis at laboratories in the United States to determine the characteristics of the produced hydrocarbons.
The production testing programme forms part of ReconAfrica’s ongoing appraisal of the Kavango West discovery as the company evaluates the commercial potential of the play.
