TotalEnergies encounters oil, continues offshore Namibia exploration
TotalEnergies EP Namibia BV completed drilling and testing of the Tamboti-1X exploration and spudded the Marula-1X exploration in Block 2913B (PEL 56), offshore southern Namibia, said partner Impact Oil and Gas Ltd. in a Feb. 6 release.
The Deepsea Mira semi-submersible drilling rig drilled Tamboti-1X to 6,450m MD TD, 12km northeast of the Mangetti-1X well and about 25 km north-northwest of the Venus-2A well (OGJ Online, Nov. 5, 2024). Black oil was encountered within 85 m of net reservoir of lower quality Upper Cretaceous sandstones, belonging to the Mangetti fan system.
A DST program has now been concluded at the Tamboti-1X location, and results from the acquired log, core, and DST data are currently under analysis.
On Feb. 3, Deepsea Mira spudded the Marula-1X exploration well within the southern part of Block 2913B. This well will target Albian-aged sandstones within the Marula fan complex and has the potential to unlock further exploration targets across the south, which is an area lying at the heart of the prolific Kudu source-rock kitchen.
At end-2025, the Deepsea Mira is expected to drill the Olympe prospect, targeting Albian sands within a structural closure on Block 2912.
The joint venture is continuing to progress the proposed development of Venus field, with development studies ongoing.
The field is expected to be the first development in Block 2913B, producing 150,000 b/d of about 45° API oil, with final investment decision expected by first-half 2026. The field has been appraised with the testing of the Venus-1X side-track well and Venus-1A, Venus-2A, and Mangetti-1X wells.
Block 2913B lies in water depths of 2,500-3,250 m, adjacent to the South Africa maritime boundary. The license lies within the Orange River basin, shared between both Namibia and South Africa. Block 2913B covers about 8,215 sq km.
TotalEnergies EP Namibia BV is operator of Block 2913B (50.5%) with partners Impact Oil and Gas Namibia (Pty) Ltd. (9.5%), QatarEnergy (30.0%), and NAMCOR (10.0%).
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).
