Canadian Firm Spuds Onshore Namibia Well

Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd. (ReconAfrica) (TSXV: RECO) (OTCQX: RECAF) (FRA: 0XD) reported Wednesday that it has begun drilling its second well in the Kavango Basin in northeastern Namibia.

The first string of casing has been set and cemented in the 6-1 well, and the company-owned and operated 1,000-horsepower Jarvie-1 rig is drilling ahead to a target depth of 12,500 feet (3,800 meters), ReconAfrica noted in a written statement emailed to Rigzone. The firm pointed out the 6-1 well is designed to evaluate the petroleum systems discovered in 6-2 – the first well – in an area of maximum thickness.

“These first two wells are within one of five major sub-basins of the larger, more laterally extensive, Permian aged deep Kavango basin,” stated ReconAfrica, which reported the 6-2 discovery on April 15, 2021.

A sample log from the 6-2 well showed more than 660 feet (200 meters) of oil and natural gas indicators over three discrete intervals in a stacked sequence of reservoir and source rock, ReconAfrica noted in an April 15 written statement. The 6-1 well location is 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of the 6-2 drill site, the company also stated at the time. 6-2 and 6-1 are part of a three-well drilling program.

“Mud gas results indicate a high-BTU gas with the presence of light oil in numerous cutting samples,” petroleum systems chemist and ReconAfrica Advisory Board member Dan Jarvie remarked in the previous statement. “Based on these initial results, the components and processes for a working petroleum system are all present.”

ReconAfrica noted Wednesday that Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB) will provide a comprehensive logging program for 6-1. The company also stated that a vertical seismic profile will be run to enable the most accurate tie-in possible of well data to the 2D seismic program, which it expects will start next month.

The 6-2 discovery announcement last month drew praise from a high-ranking government official in the southwestern African country.

“This is a great period for the people of Namibia, with the results of the well confirming a big potential for a very valuable energy resource for our country and therefore a significant development for Namibia onshore exploration efforts,” Namibian Minister of Mines and Energy Thomas Alweendo commented earlier. “The positive results of this well have provided us with the critical information required to unlock the country’s petroleum prospectivity and is the first step in the process of locating significant accumulations, we can now confidently confirm Namibia is endowed with an active onshore petroleum basin.”

To contact the author, email mveazey@rigzone.com.