Rhino Resources Namibia is conducting an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) to drill 10 exploration and appraisal wells in Block 2914A off the coast of Southern Namibia.
The exploration company has appointed SLR Environmental Consulting (Namibia) as the Environmental Assessment Practitioner to oversee the EIA process.
“The project and ECC application have been officially registered on the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism’s (MEFT) online application portal, signalling the initiation of the EIA public participation process,” a notice issued for the application said.
The company holds an exploration right (PEL 85) over Block 2914A located off the coast of southern Namibia, approximately 260 kilometres south-southwest of Lüderitz and 140 kilometres west-southwest of Oranjemund at its closest point.
“The proposed activities include drilling up to 10 exploration and appraisal wells within Block 2914A, as well as vertical seismic profiling of wells, well testing, and the abandonment of wellheads. Each well’s drilling and testing process takes between two and four months,” the company said.
“The draft scoping report (DSR) will be available for review and comment from December 4, 2023, to 29 January 2024. Copies of the DSR will be shared with registered I&APs and available for download from the SLR website. Hard copies will be placed at local libraries.”
Rhino Resources has a decade-long presence in Namibia and holds operatorship of Block 2914A with a 75% participating interest, positioning itself as a key player in the region’s oil and gas sector.
Block 2914A, located in the shallower portion of the Orange Basin with water depths ranging from 500 metres to 1,500 metres, is strategically situated amidst multiple Namibian discoveries made in recent years, some less than 20 kilometres away.
In late 2022, Rhino Resources funded a new 3D seismic survey covering 1,700 square kilometres to reconfirm and expand the block’s lead inventory.
Early analysis of the seismic data, combined with existing datasets, indicates the presence of multiple play types and numerous drillable prospects.
Rhino Resources and its partners are moving forward with planning and contracting a two-well exploration drilling and testing campaign.
According to the Namibia Petroleum Operators Association, exploration companies have invested over N$30 billion in the country since independence.
