Eveline de Klerk
Edgar Brandt
SWAKOPMUND – Namibians are being called to the table as TotalEnergies EP Namibia (TEEPNA) and its joint venture partners prepare to explore the potential offshore development of the Venus well in the Orange Basin.
Despite a slowdown in exploration activities in the area towards the end of 2024, exploration and appraisal drilling in the highly-prospective Orange Basin are expected to return to full swing.
Recent developments have cast doubts on the viability of Namibia’s offshore reserves, as Shell said it would write down its US$400 million investment. However, industry experts believe that light oil, good reservoir properties, high test flow rates and very large volumes may yet restore full confidence in the Orange Basin.
Supermajor TotalEnergi e s is currently drilling in Petroleum Exploration Licence (PEL) 56, along with independent Rhino Resources in PEL 85. The local industry is also keeping a close eye on Portuguese company Galp’s potentially massive discovery in PEL 83 Mopane.
Meanwhile, TotalEnergies and its joint venture partners appointed the Southern African Institute of Environmental Assessment (SAIEA) to host public and stakeholder engagement meetings to gather input on the environmental and social aspects of the proposed project.
Following the Venus offshore discovery in February 2022, TotalEnergies EP Namibia, on behalf of its joint venture partners (QatarEnergy, Impact Oil and Gas and Namcor), conducted engineering studies to determine the viability of the offshore development, which could ultimately lead to commercial production at the Venus field.
According to SAIEA representative Peter Tarr, the recent consultations mark a key step in the strategic scoping process, ensuring transparency and inclusion as plans for the potential development of TotalEnergies EP Namibia’s offshore activities in the Orange Basin progress.
“TEEPNA has engaged SAIEA to undertake a strategic environmental and social scoping. The main objective is to gather and assess key issues, concerns and expectations among stakeholders regarding the potential operations of the joint venture. This baseline will guide the development of further consultations,” he said in a statement this week.
Tarr added that these meetings are designed to foster dialogue and ensure all voices are heard as their input will be crucial in shaping a responsible and sustainable approach to the significant discovery.
Public consultations to collect opinions and concerns from communities likely to be impacted will take place in Lüderitz, Windhoek and Walvis Bay.
The first meeting was scheduled for Monday, 20 January 2025 at Lüderitz Junior Secondary School, with two sessions scheduled from 14h00 to 16h00, and 17h00 to 19h00.
The second meeting is scheduled for today in Windhoek at the Fürstenhof Hotel, with meetings in the same timeslot as Lüderitz. The final consultation is scheduled for Friday at Sea Lodge in Walvis Bay, with a single session from 10h00 to noon.
“We have designed the schedule to ensure stakeholders across different regions can participate at a time and place most convenient to them,” Tarr said. The consultations come nearly three years after the Venus 1-X discovery, which revealed a significant light oil reservoir approximately 290 kilometres offshore. Block 2913B, covering 8.215 square kilometres, is operated by TotalEnergies (40%), alongside QatarEnergy (30%), Impact Oil and Gas (20%), and Namcor (10%).
According to industry insiders, the Hercules semi-submersible rig has been mobilised to PEL 83 to drill Mopane-1X for Galp. In the absence of confirmed undersea production concepts and development capital expenditure, Galp is still searching for a joint venture partner, which has resulted in attracting interest from Brazil’s Petrobras.
TotalEnergies and BW Energy also joined the race to production, with their Venus (2022) and Kudu (1974) fields vying to be Namibia’s maiden offshore development. BW is currently implementing a gas-to-power field development plan for Kudu.
Recent 3D images for BW Energy have revealed a strong potential for the development of the Kudu block.
– edeklerk@nepc.com.na
– ebrandt@nepc.com.na