TotalEnergies Starts Drilling Ops Offshore Namibia
February 7, 2025
French energy major TotalEnergies has started drilling the first of the planned two wells in oil and gas blocks offshore Namibia.
On February 3, 2025, the semi-submersible drilling rig Deepsea Mira spud the Marula-1X exploration well within the southern part of Block 2913B.
TotalEnergies is the operator of Block 2913B with 50.5% working interest, with partners Qatar Energy (30%), Africa Oil’s Impact Oil and Gas (9.5%), and Namibia’s NAMCOR (10%),
The partners said the 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.
Impact Oil and Gas, also said the drilling and testing operations at the Tamboti-1X exploration well at the same block were completed.
Impact noted the Tamboti-1X well encountered black oil within 85m of net reservoir of lower quality Upper Cretaceous sandstones, belonging to the Mangetti fan system.
As reported by Impact, the drill stem test (DST) program was concluded at the Tamboti-1X location, and results from the acquired log, core and DST data are currently under analysis
The joint venture also expects to drill the Olympe prospect, targeting Albian sands within a structural closure, on Block 2912 by the end of 2025.
Block 2913B Joint Venture is continuing to progress the proposed development of the Venus field in the Orange Basin offshore Namibia, with development studies ongoing.
Since the 2022 Venus-1X discovery well, three further wells have successfully penetrated the Venus field, and four drill stem tests have been successfully carried out.
The Venus field is expected to be the first development area in Block 2913B, producing 150k barrels of oil per day, with final investment decision expected by the end of first half 2026.
“The Venus project is progressing well and we are very encouraged by the operator’s public statements on the commerciality and the quality of this field. There is also an exciting exploration program with Marula-1X operations under way and the plan to start drilling Olympe-1X well by the end of 2025.
“Through our recent strategic initiatives, we have retained the upside to these assets at no upfront cost, with all of Impact’s share of development and exploration expenditures on the two blocks being covered by TotalEnergies, until first commercial production from Venus,” said Roger Tucker, Africa Oil's President and CEO.
