Map source: KeyFacts Energy

OIL & GAS HISTORY

The 1st Phase or First Licensing round opened in 1969 with 8 blocks being awarded, followed by the 2nd licensing round opened in 1972 with 9 blocks being awarded. The Kudu Gas discovery (Kudu 9A-1) was drilled during this time by Chevron in the Orange Basin. With the UN sanctions from later 1970’s no further exploration for hydrocarbons was done by international operators. During that time, all drilling rights were then transferred to SWAKOR (national oil company). However, during 1987-1988 the 2nd Phase of exploration began with SWAKOR, the predecessor company of the present National Oil Company, NAMCOR, in collaboration with Halliburton, acquired 10,600km 2D seismic offshore Namibia and a further 3,770 km over Kudu and drilled Kudu 9A-2 and Kudu 9A-3. The Kudu 2 well was not tested but Kudu 9A-3 proved dry gas discovery in Lower Cretaceous sands.

Post 1990 the First Licensing round was held with Five licenses being awarded (Norsk Hydro, Ranger, Sasol, Chevron and Shell). Subsequently, in 1995 the Second Licensing round was held resulted in two new licenses being awarded to Shell with an extension to the existing license that Shell held over the Kudu field. During this period, over 28, 000km of 2D seismic was acquired in the respective licenses, as well as 60, 000km of multi-client data.

The Third Licensing Round in 1998-1999 resulted in no applications. The exploration period between 1991 and 1998 saw nine exploratory wells drilled, located mostly on the shelf. Although unsuccessful, these wells proved both clastic and carbonate potential reservoirs of mostly Cretaceous age and at least two rich oil prone rocks within Aptian and Cenomanian/Turonian interval. The mini-4th Licensing Round in 2004 eventually resulted in the award of two blocks to BHP-Billiton to the west and south of the Kudu Gas Field.

With an open licensing system adopted in 1999, Namibia experienced an influx in exploration activities from 2008 to date especially acquisition of 2D and 3D seismic surveys as more companies showed interest in the hydrocarbon potential of the Western margin. Within this period six exploratory wells were drilled by various operators. Sintezneftgaz drilled Kunene-1 well in 2008, Chariot drilled Tapir South-1 and Kabeljou-1 in 2012 , HRT drilled Wingat-1, Murombe-1 and Moosehead-1 wells in 2013 and Repsol drilled Welwitschia-1 well in 2014. Recent drilled well results confirmed the presence of Lower Cretaceous rich source rocks, clastic and carbonate reservoirs and also proved an oil-based working petroleum system with two thick, rich mature source rocks within the Aptian Interval. In 2018, two wells were drilled in the Walvis Basin by Tullow Namibia (Cormorant-1) and Chariot Oil and Gas (Prospect S).

To date, 24 wells (Exploration and Appraisal) drilled offshore Namibia with over 50 Petroleum Exploration Licenses been awarded by the Ministry of Mines and Energy.

Country Key Facts

• Official name: Republic of Namibia
• Capital: Windhoek
• Population: 2,540,732 (2020)
• Area: 824,292 square kilometers (318,261 sq. mi.)
• Government type: Republic
• Language: English, Afrikaans, German, indigenous languages
• Religions: Christian, indigenous beliefs     
• Currency: Namibian dollar, South African rand
• Calling code: +264

E&P Players in Namibia

Africa Energy
Africa Energy is a Canadian oil and gas company with exploration assets offshore South Africa and Namibia.

AziNam
AziNam is focused on rapidly progressing the exciting opportunities in Namibia by applying advanced geoscience technology to its extensive acreage position.

Calima Energy
The company was recently awarded 56% Operatorship of a 5,433km² block over the deepwater oil play in the Orange River Basin.

Chariot Oil & Gas
The Group currently holds one licence covering two blocks offshore Namibia, through its wholly owned subsidiary Enigma Oil & Gas

Eco Atlantic
In Namibia, the Company holds interests in four offshore petroleum licences totalling ~25,000km²

EnerGulf Resources
In June 2013, EnerGulf was granted a 15% interest in Block 1711 in the Namibe basin

ExxonMobil
In April 2019, ExxonMobil acquired interests in blocks 1710 and 1810 and announced a farm-in agreements with NAMCOR for blocks 1711 and 1811A.

Galp
Galp's position in Namibia consists of two offshore exploration licences, PEL 82 in the Walvis basin and PEL 83 in the Orange basin.

Global Petroleum
Global holds an 85% participating interest in two Petroleum Exploration Licences (PELs) in the Walvis Basin, offshore NW Namibia.

Impact Oil & Gas
Impact’s Namibia assets cover 16,000km² in a location 300km southern offshore Namibia.

Kosmos Energy
In October 2018, Kosmos entered into a strategic exploration alliance with Shell to jointly explore in Southern West Africa, initially focusing on Namibia.

Lekoil
Lekoil is an African focused oil and gas E&P company with interests offshore Nigeria and Namibia.

Nabirm
Nabirm is the holder of a Namibian Petroleum Exploration Licence 0058, held over Block 2113A.
  
NAMCOR
NAMCOR is an integrated oil and gas company, wholly owned by the Government of Namibia.

Oranto Petroleum
Oranto holds an 87% operated interest in Block 2111A & 2011B

Pancontinental Oil & Gas
Pancontinental has been present in Namibia for the last ten years and holds interests in Walvis Basin PEL 37 and Orange Basin PEL 87.

Qatar Petroleum
QP holds interests in Blocks 2913B and 2912 in the Orange Basin
 
ReconAfrica
ReconAfrica is a junior oil and gas company engaged in the development of the newly discovered Kavango Sedimentary Basin, in northeast Namibia.

Serica Energy
Serica holds an 85% WI in Luderitz Basin Blocks 2512A, 2513A, 2513B and 2612A (part)
 
Shell
Shell holds a 90 percent controlling interest in PEL 39.

Total
In November 2018, Total joined Impact Oil & Gas and NAMCOR in deep water block 2913B. The company also hold an interest in Block 2912.
 
Tower Resources
Tower holds an 80% operated interest in Blocks 1910A, 1911 and 1912B.
 
Tullow Oil
Tullow has exploration interests in two operated offshore licences, PEL-37 and PEL-90.

Ministry of Mines and Energy

The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) is the State’s lead agency in attracting private investment in resources exploration and development through the provision of geoscientific information on minerals and energy resources, and management of an equitable and secure titles systems for the mining, petroleum and geothermal industries.

It also carries prime responsibility for regulating these extractive industries in the country, including the collection of royalties, and ensuring that safety; health and environmental standards are consistent with the relevant State and Commonwealth legislation, regulations and policies.

The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME)
6 Aviation Road, Private Bag 13297, Windhoek, Namibia 

Tel: +264-61-284 8111   l   Fax: +264-61-238643   l   info@mme.gov.na

Company Profiles 

Africa Energy
Africa Energy Corp. is a Canadian oil and gas company with exploration assets offshore South Africa and Namibia. The Company is listed on TSX Venture Exchange and Nasdaq First North Growth Market. Africa Energy is part of the Lundin Group of Companies.

Africa Energy holds an effective 10% interest in PEL 37. The Company owns one-third of Pancontinental Namibia (Pty) Limited, which holds a 30% participating interest in PEL 37. The other joint venture partners in PEL 37 are Tullow Namibia Limited, the operator with 35% participating interest, ONGC Videsh Limited with 30% participating interest and Paragon Oil and Gas (Pty) Limited with 5% participating interest.

Map source: KeyFacts Energy

Petroleum Exploration License 37 (“PEL 37”) is located in the Walvis Basin and covers an area of 17,295 square kilometers off the northern Namibian offshore region located about 420 kilometers south of the Angolan/Namibian border. Water depths over PEL 37 range from 400 meters to 1,500 meters and over the main prospective area where the Cormorant and other prospects (Albatross, Seagull and Gannet) have been delineated, range from 400 meters to 600 meters.

Africa Energy holds an effective 10% interest in PEL 37. The Company owns one-third of Pancontinental Namibia (Pty) Limited, which holds a 30% participating interest in PEL 37. The other joint venture partners in PEL 37 are Tullow Namibia Limited, the operator with 35% participating interest, ONGC Videsh Limited with 30% participating interest and Paragon Oil and Gas (Pty) Limited with 5% participating interest.

Azinam
Azinam is the leading independent Southern Africa Atlantic Margin focused Oil & Gas exploration company. The Company was established in 2012 with the support of Seacrest Capital Group.

Map source: KeyFacts Energy

Azinam currently holds working interests in a total of six licences (62,000km²) over areas of the Walvis and Lüderitz basins offshore Namibia. In 2018 Azinam entered into agreements to take 40% working interest in two new licences over areas of the Orange Basin offshore South Africa. Upon South African government approval of the Exploration Rights, Azinam will hold 8 licences and a total acreage of 80,530km² offshore Namibia and South Africa, becoming the largest direct acreage holder in the region (on a gross basis).

The South West Africa Atlantic Margin offshore Namibia and South Africa is an under-explored continental margin with significant hydrocarbon potential in three principle sedimentary basins; the Walvis, the Lüderitz and the Orange Basin, the latter straddling the Namibia/South Africa border. This area is gaining increasing attention from the international hydrocarbon exploration industry. Recent new entrants to the area include ExxonMobil, Kosmos Energy, Total SA, and the Lundin group through investments in Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas, Impact Oil & Gas and Africa Energy.

Eco (Atlantic) Oil and Gas
Eco (Atlantic) Oil and Gas is an international oil and gas exploration and development company focused on the identification, acquisition and development of upstream petroleum opportunities in politically stable and technically de-risked jurisdictions around the world.

The Company is listed on the the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange (AIM) and on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX-V). It has a strategic portfolio of offshore projects in Guyana (South America) and Namibia (Africa) in partnership with major oil companies and large independents.

Offshore Namibia, Eco is the majority stakeholder and operator of four prospective licence blocks in the Walvis Basin; Sharon (PEL 033), Cooper (PEL 030), Guy (PEL 034 and Tamar (PEL 050). It is estimated that 25 billion barrels of prospective resources could be held within this licence area. The Walvis Basin is a proven petroleum system and Eco is working in partnership with Tullow Oil, NAMCOR and Azinam on these projects within the region.

The Company has completed seven years of exploration on the Cooper Block, including regional geological studies, fracture analysis, slick studies, the review and interpretation of 5,000 km² of 2D and an 1,100 km² 3D Survey. In addition to its own ongoing interpretation, Eco has also contracted independent studies from Petroleum Geo-Services, Azinam Ltd, Tullow Oil plc and Gustavson Associates.

Eco and its partners have identified the "Osprey" prospect on the Cooper Block, an 882 Million-barrel Aptian/Albian target within a sand filled channel and fan system in the Cretaceous sequence. The prospect is estimated to contain as much as 882 million barrels of oil equivalent (Gross Prospective - Best). The licence partners on the Cooper Block continue to contribute their own independent analysis and to work towards determining an exact location for the drilling of an exploration well on the "Osprey" prospect.

KeyFacts Energy Nambia country page