The National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR)’s Chief Geologist, Anthony Chatu, has invited new stakeholders to partner with Namibia in its exploration efforts highlighting that there are five exploratory licenses presently open.
Chatu was speaking at a strategic workshop on Tuesday at the Namibia International Energy Conference (NIEC) 2023 in Windhoek, under the theme, “Understanding Namibia’s Onshore and Offshore Hydrocarbon Potential.”
“A number of companies are operating on different licenses… NAMCOR operates its own licenses while participating in 95% of all licenses, with five exploratory licenses presently open. We are looking for new partners,” said Chatu.
Moderated by ReconAfrica’s Head of Communication and Stakeholder Relations, Mwanyengwa Ndapewoshali Shapwanale, the session spoke to the size and scope of Namibia’s on- and offshore prospects, as the country emerges as the region’s leading exploration hotspot.
“We have deepwater plates that have been realized in Namibia, and we see them expanding throughout the entire Orange Basin,” began Victoria Sibeya, NAMCOR’s Exploration Upstream Executive, while providing a geological analysis of Namibia’s offshore reservoirs. “We have confidence in the data that we have, and are continuously improving our geological models.”
NAMCOR’s Principal Geologist, Alina Narubes, presented an overview of Namibia’s onshore prospects, identifying over 35,000㎢ of underexplored development potential in the Namibian wilderness.
Currently, in the NAMA Basin, we have one active license and several being negotiated with the Ministry, said Narubes, who provided a full summary of Namibia’s onshore 2D and 3D seismic imaging efforts across several potential development basins.
Deputy Vice-Chair for the Namibia Petroleum Operators Association, Martin Negonga, elaborated further on the initial successes of exploratory drilling in the country, which has yielded three commercial offshore oil discoveries in the past year by operators Shell and TotalEnergies.
“In terms of drilling, it will still pick up. However, it is good to see discoveries happening early as opposed to drilling 300 dry wells before success,” said Negonga.
Local participation
At the same conference, a strategic industry intelligence session with the African Energy Chamber (AEC) – the voice of the African energy sector – to share its expertise on local business development and skill-building opportunities within the industry was held. Led by AEC Executive Chairman, NJ Ayuk, the workshop tackled the most pressing issues facing the Namibian and African oil and gas sector, from creating jobs across the energy value chain to implementing effective local content policy.
“Having been operators, leaders and advisors, we have a lot to share with young people about how to enter this industry,” stated Ayuk. “I want jobs. We still have a country where a lot of young people don’t necessarily have experience in enterprise development or building joint ventures. How can we get young people and businesses involved beyond logistics?”
Grace Orife, CEO of Adelaar Energy Limited, expanded on these remarks to include the importance of gender diversity and inclusion within the oil and gas industry. The global energy sector has long been home to complex and often systemic barriers to gender equality, with women making up less than a quarter of the oil and gas workforce globally.
“Collaboration is key. There is an initiative from the AEC – “The African Women Business Energy Network” – meant to connect young girls with other women in the region who have already accomplished a lot in oil and gas. We are also encouraging women to enter STEM,” said Orife.
Meanwhile, Anthony Paul, Principal Consultant at the Association of Caribbean Energy Specialists, emphasized the importance of local sub-contracting in building a sustainable and inclusive extractive industry. Fellow panelist, Dr. Riverson Oppong, Commercial Operations Manager at Ghana National Gas Company, echoed the value of establishing a local supply chain for emerging producers like Namibia.
“Namibia needs to understand that there is much greater socioeconomic value and impact when you run a vertically integrated business,” said Dr. Oppong. “After we took over from the Chinese after three to four years, Gabon National Gas Company is now mostly run by indigenous workers.”
“In the oil and gas industry, you’re building facilities to last for 20-40 years. You want to be able to ensure that the locals in that country are able to manage those assets, as in the long term, it becomes increasingly difficult to hire the necessary expats,” added Seyi Afolabi, CEO of Reservoir & Facilities Solutions Nigeria Limited. “It is in your interest, as an international company, to train the people there. As soon as local governments see huge investment, you need to position your people in order to take over.”