Shell discovers potential oil or gas offshore Namibia

GEORGE HENDRICKSOIL industry giant Royal Dutch Shell believes sound data shows there is a chance of a world-class deep water petroleum system offshore, 20 to 30 kilometres north of the Namibia-South Africa border.

Announcing the data findings to president Hage Geingob at State House yesterday, Shell Upstream vice president for exploration, Africa and the Middle East Colette Hirstius said the oil or gas discovery can only be certain once a well is drilled.

“Then we will know for sure whether there is oil or gas in the licence we have. If the well is successful, we will then begin to assess what type of volumes may be there,” she added.

The oil company is also working in collaboration with American upstream oil company Kosmos Energy and the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor) on the technical data and plans to drill the well early in 2021.

“So, next year is the most exciting aspect of our goals, which is really when we will put together all of the pieces, and determine where to drill the well,” Hirstius noted.

Due to a few complicating factors, the team will try and drill the highest probability location first.

“But it’s still very much a frontier area, meaning we don’t have a positive task yet, and so the probability of success is still in line with the frontier area. Once we drill a well, we will know what we have,” she reiterated.

Their scientists are thus working every day on increasing the probability of success. Shell has been in Namibia since 2014, and has acquired a 90% controlling interest in Petroleum Exploration Licence 39 located offshore Namibia, with the additional 10% interest held by Namcor. – Nampa

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