Reconnaissance Energy Africa plans to commence production testing in the first quarter of 2026 on Petroleum Exploration Licence 73, an onshore asset located in Namibia’s Kavango Basin.

The company said it has moved into an evaluation phase that has been in preparation for several weeks, following the identification of hydrocarbon indications at the Kavango West-1X well on the licence.

ReconAfrica has not announced a commercial discovery on PEL 73. The planned activities are intended to establish whether the formations encountered can deliver measurable production volumes, which would be required before advancing the exploration programme.

Drilling at the Kavango West-1X well intersected several geological intervals with potential hydrocarbon presence. As a result, the company is considering testing up to eight separate horizons to evaluate their productive capacity.

Such testing is a standard step in early-stage basins like the Kavango Basin, where geological data remain limited and well tests play a key role in understanding subsurface potential.

The presence of multiple hydrocarbon indicators within a single well supports the decision to proceed with testing, without implying commercial viability. While offshore exploration remains active in Namibia, attention is also turning to onshore prospects, which present distinct technical and environmental considerations.

The results of the production tests will guide the next phase of work. Successful outcomes could support further appraisal drilling, while less favourable results may lead to a reassessment of the exploration strategy on PEL 73.

Kavango West 1X Well

ReconAfrica completed drilling operations at Kavango West 1X on November 29, after reaching total depth (“TD”) of 4,200 metres (13,800 feet) and conducting an extensive wireline logging program. The well has been temporally abandoned and will be re-entered once testing equipment arrives in the first quarter of 2026.

Extensive wireline logging indicates ~85 metres (~280 feet) of net reservoir with 64 metres (210 feet) of net hydrocarbon pay across a gross interval of ~400 metres (~1,300 feet) containing multiple limestone reservoir units. Mud and gas samples have been collected throughout the well and will be sent to the Unites States for analysis. No core samples were taken in this well.

KeyFacts Energy: ReconAfrica Namibia country profile