• ReconAfrica confirmed hydrocarbons in the Kavango West-1X well on onshore block PEL 73, marking the first data-backed validation since exploration began in 2021.

• The well revealed a 400-meter hydrocarbon column, including 64 meters of identified reservoir zones in the Otavi limestone formation.

• Namibia will conduct production tests in the coming weeks to assess commercial viability and shape its evolving petroleum strategy.

Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd. (ReconAfrica) confirmed the presence of hydrocarbons in the Kavango West-1X well drilled on the onshore PEL 73 block in Namibia’s Kavango Basin. The announcement marks a significant milestone months after the company reported unquantified oil shows in January 2025.

The company advanced exploration on PEL 73 in recent quarters and now reports a definitive data-backed result.

ReconAfrica says post-drill analysis shows a hydrocarbon column of roughly 400 meters, including 64 meters classified as reservoir intervals based on downhole logs. The company drilled the well to a depth of 4,200 meters and retrieved electrical logs confirming hydrocarbon presence in the Otavi limestone formation.

The company also identified additional shows in a deeper naturally fractured zone. This result represents the first confirmation supported by well data since onshore exploration began in this part of the basin in 2021.

The announcement follows several years of geological assessments based on prospective datasets. Studies released in 2024 suggested an active petroleum system in the Damara Fold Belt and flagged oil occurrences on PEL 73, but those findings lacked deep-well corroboration.

The Kavango West-1X data now validate the system’s potential and strengthen the credibility of Namibia’s onshore exploration, which has until now remained overshadowed by major offshore discoveries.

Despite the encouraging results, ReconAfrica cautions that the findings do not yet confirm commercially viable output on the permit. The company plans to launch production tests in the coming weeks to determine whether the identified intervals can deliver flow rates compatible with commercial development.

These tests will serve as the next critical step in assessing development prospects for PEL 73 and determining the future role of Namibia’s onshore resources. The country continues to adjust its petroleum strategy following its breakthrough offshore discoveries in 2022.

Namibia previously floated the possibility of joining OPEC if oil discoveries proved large enough to justify commercial production. The state now aims to diversify exploration zones, expand the involvement of state-owned oil company NAMCOR and attract foreign capital to build a long-term revenue-generating sector.

This article was initially published in French by Abdel-Latif Boureima

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum