Reconnaissance Energy Africa (ReconAfrica) is progressing with its onshore exploration, although at a slightly slower pace than anticipated due to delays caused by slower drilling rates. 

The Canadian oil and gas company, which is exploring in the Damara Fold Belt and Kavango Rift Basin in the Kalahari Desert in northeastern Namibia and northwestern Botswana, last week updated stakeholders on drilling and their latest executive appointment. 

The company announced the appointment of Gitane De Silva as senior vice president of environmental, social and governance (ESG) communications and stakeholder relations. 

She is a known public policy and regulatory practitioner with over 20 years’ executive experience at the provincial, national and international levels. 

She brings expertise in the areas of energy, environment, trade and infrastructure. 

Her past roles include CEO of the Canadian energy regulator, various diplomatic postings and deputy minister of international and intergovernmental relations for the Canadian province of Alberta.

Brian Reinsborough, president and CEO of the company stated: “We continue to make progress on the drilling of the Naingopo exploration well on PEL 73 onshore Namibia. We have set our last casing point prior to drilling into the Otavi reservoir section. We encountered slower drilling rates in the deeper section of the Mulden formation, and experienced tight hole conditions while setting casing, which has caused delays to our original schedule. 

“As part of the planned drilling programme, we are switching out the blowout preventer to 10 000 psi ahead of drilling deeper intervals. Drilling will commence in the coming days, and we expect soon thereafter to penetrate the primary objective of the Damara Fold Belt play, the Otavi carbonate reservoir. We plan to be drilling through October before reaching total depth, and will disclose well results after thorough analysis of the logs and any obtained fluids.

 “Construction operations are proceeding on schedule to spud the Kambundu exploration. This well is expected to spud following the completion of the Naingopo exploration well”.

The Naingopo well is targeting 181 million barrels of un-risked prospective light or medium oil resources or 937 billion cubic feet of prospective natural gas resources on a 100% working interest basis, based on the most recent prospective resources report prepared by Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc (NSAI). 

“The well is targeting to drill to a depth of approximately 3 800 metres, and is expected to encounter five primary Otavi reservoir intervals targeting both oil and natural gas. If successful, the well would be a major play opening discovery providing access to multiple drill ready prospects,” the ReconAfrica update states.  

Elsewhere, on PEL 73, ReconAfrica stated it continues to make progress in the construction of the access road and the construction of the well pad for the second Damara Fold Belt exploration well, Kambundu, which is expected to start drilling in late November or early December 2024.