By Petronella Sibeene WINDHOEK A new and bright phase in the search for oil and gas in Namibia was launched last Thursday when oil exploration company Enigma inaugurated its offices in Windhoek. Enigma, a Namibian registered company, will explore hydrocarbon presence in the South Atlantic marginal basins. Experts in the exploration industry have said Namibia has all the necessary conditions for the existence of a significant amount of oil. Geological conditions further show that sediments are similar to those of the South Atlantic basins of both the rest of Africa and South America. Based on that, Enigma has hired a Brazilian consulting firm for oil and gas exploration High Resolution Technology (HRT) Petroleum. The company, according to the director of Enigma, Swapo Ndume, was formed by petroleum geologists and geophysists with experience of over 30 years. Ndume assured that the petroleum systems expert Marcio Rocha Mello has looked at the country’s geological structure and observed there is oil in Namibia. Enigma deployed a satellite to get data in its exploration basins at Walvis Bay and the Namib. Ndume confirmed that the new company has so far done information gathering on the exploration of oil and gas in the country’s offshore region. Enigma Chairman Peter Kidney in an interview with New Era said energy independence is today a strategic issue for every country and that Namibia has the huge potential of becoming an oil country. So far geophysical analysis has been carried out and seabed and electromagnetic sampling to predict the presence and amount of oil and gas will follow. Kidney projected that by 2009 the company will commence drilling. The entire investment is estimated at US$70 million (approximately N$490 million). “It is an enormous investment which needs careful analysis. We are taking the best approach to reduce risks,” he said. Mines and Energy Minister, Erkki Nghimtina, whose remarks were read by his deputy Henock ya Kasita during the inauguration of the offices, said Enigma’s presence in Namibia will help promote the country to prominent ranks among the South Atlantic African oil producing countries. The minister confessed that many companies once tested the oil and gas exploration industry but have come out with nothing. The most likely answer to the problem, Nghimtina said, could be the approach used. “The approach used by several important and extremely competent operators could have lacked the technology and the necessary expertise on the subject,” he said. The minister added it is important for Namibia to use methods and technologies applied by others on the same geological circumstances in search of hydrocarbons in the South Atlantic marginal basins. He commended Enigma for bringing in Brazilian expertise. “Brazil today produces 90 percent of its oil and gas (more than 2 million barrels per day) from the greater Campos Basin which is a mirror to Namibia. Thus to bring the experience of this Brazilian achievement to Namibia is a huge success,” commended Nghimtina. Nghimtina confidently stated that once integration, interpretation and modelling of available data is complete, formerly accepted paradigms will be broken down by HRT, leading the future of Enigma exploration to fresh initiatives aimed at unveiling the still hidden treasure. “We have learned of their successful work in PETROBRAS, the Brazilian national oil company. We are confident that you have the proper insight of the Southern Margin of the Atlantic basins and the hope is now hereby being placed in the hands of this team for the success of Enigma,” the minister ended. Enigma is part of the NamQuest Group.