What does the pathway to first oil look like for Namibia? Are there any updates on the technical and commercial viabilities of the recent discoveries?
Namibia has been on a roll since 2022, in that nearly every hole that has been drilled in the subsurface has yielded a positive indication of hydrocarbons. Between February 2022 and July 2023, we have had oil discoveries: the Graff-1, Jonker- 1X, La Rona-1 and Lesedi-1X discoveries in PEL 39 by Shell Namibia Upstream BV and its partners, and the Venus-1 discovery in PEL 56 by TotalEnergies EP Namibia and its partners. It has been a journey to get here – we drilled close to 37 dry wells prior to these discoveries. When the results were negative, it was very difficult to make the case to the world that Namibia does have oil and gas accumulation. These discoveries are a testament to both patience and hard work, as well as the potential of the market.