Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd. discovered hydrocarbons in the Kavango West 1X well in onshore Petroleum Exploration License (PEL) 73 in northeast Namibia.
The well is the second test in the Damara Fold Belt play and targeted the thick Otavi carbonate reservoir section. Drilled depth was 4,200 m (13,800 ft) TD.
The well encountered about 400 m (1,300 ft) of gross hydrocarbon section, 85 m of net reservoir, and 64 net m (210 ft) of hydrocarbon pay in the Otavi carbonate section based on wireline logs and supported by mud log anomalies.
An additional 61 m (200 ft) of hydrocarbon shows were identified in the deeper sections, where interpreted natural fractures in the limestone reservoir occur. Mud and gas samples have been collected throughout the well, but the well was not cored.
A production test will be conducted to determine the deliverability characteristics of the intervals of interest within the Otavi carbonate section. The test will be run in 5-in. production casing with tubing-conveyed perforations (TCP) to selectively perforate intervals based on where hydrocarbon pay has been identified on wireline logs and where significant oil and gas shows were encountered.
Intervals of interest will be the 64 m of hydrocarbon pay identified on wireline logs and an additional 61 m of oil and gas shows identified in the deeper sections where interpreted natural fractures in the limestone reservoir units should enhance deliverability of hydrocarbons.
Planning and logistics have begun for this test, which is anticipated to occur in first-quarter 2026 and should run for about 1 month.
Damara Fold Belt extends across 11.5 million acres in Namibia and Angola. The Otavi carbonate reservoir section is expected to contain 346 million bbl of gross unrisked (30 million bbl of gross risked) prospective light-medium crude oil resources or 1,839 bcf of gross unrisked (133 bcf risked) prospective natural gas resources.
ReconAfrica is the operator of PEL 73 (70%) with partners BW Energy (20%) and the National Petroleum Corp. of Namibia (NAMCOR, 10%).
About the Author
Alex Procyk
Upstream Editor
Alex Procyk is Upstream Editor at Oil & Gas Journal. He has also served as a principal technical professional at Halliburton and as a completion engineer at ConocoPhillips. He holds a BS in chemistry (1987) from Kent State University and a PhD in chemistry (1992) from Carnegie Mellon University. He is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).