Shell is preparing to launch a new drilling campaign in Petroleum Exploration Licence 39 (PEL39) offshore Namibia, the company’s country chair in Namibia, Eduardo Rodriguez, said in a LinkedIn post on Thursday.
Drilling is scheduled to start in April 2026 with the 2018-built Deepsea Mira rig, owned by Northern Ocean and operated by Odfjell Drilling. The engagement is for one firm well and one optional well, with an estimated duration of 45 days for the firm well and a projected firm backlog of approximately USD 16 million, according to a separate announcement by Northern Ocean.
“Our focus remains on operational excellence, safety, environmental performance, and creating opportunities for local participation. We look forward to working with QatarEnergy, NAMCOR and the Government of Namibia to deliver shared value for the country and its people,” said Rodriguez.
PEL39 is located approximately 230 kilometres offshore Oranjemud and covers an area of around 12,000 square kilometres. Shell operates the block with a 45% interest, alongside partners QatarEnergy (45%) and the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR) (10%). In the past three years, Shell has drilled nine exploration wells on the block.