ReconAfrica has commenced the major civil works associated with building access roads to the well site in the Kavango region.
The company announced Thursday that the primary contractor had mobilised equipment and personnel to the region where it owns EPL 73 onshore Namibia.
ReconAfrica is in the process of completing the drilling of the water well necessary for the completion of major civil works and drilling operations. Once the civil works, the access road, and the wellsite construction are completed, the Jarvie-1 drilling rig will be mobilised for drilling.
The company expects to begin drilling the first Damara Fold Belt exploration well, Naingopo (Prospect L), in June 2024.
The Naingopo exploration well is targeting 163 million barrels of unrisked prospective oil resources or 843 billion cubic feet of unrisked prospective natural gas resources based on the most recent prospective resources report prepared by Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc. dated March 12, 2024.
The well is expected to drill to a depth of approximately 12,500 feet or 3,800 meters and is projected to encounter four primary reservoir intervals targeting oil and natural gas.
Drilling is expected to take approximately 90 days and will include three sets of logging operations, coring and reservoir testing.
Following the drilling of the Naingopo well, ReconAfrica is planning to drill a second Damara Fold Belt well, Prospect P, targeting 278 million barrels of unrisked prospective oil resources, or 1.5 trillion cubic feet of unrisked prospective natural gas resources, based on the NSAI Report.
The second Damara Fold Belt well’s drilling is expected to commence in the fourth quarter of 2024, subject to the results of the Naingopo well.
ReconAfrica has contacted key drilling personnel who have agreed to rejoin the company in preparation for the upcoming drilling program and will be mobilising to Namibia in May and June.
The company has also awarded critical oilfield services contracts to key contractors, and drilling tools and equipment recently purchased are preparing to be shipped to Namibia this month.
In addition, ReconAfrica has provided interested third parties with bid instructions and guidelines.
The initial bids are expected this month, and management will review and negotiate as necessary. Only strong bids that enhance shareholder and stakeholder value will be considered.
ReconAfrica president and CEO Brian Reinsborough said with the recently completed upsized bought deal financing, ReconAfrica is positioned to begin drilling of the Naingopo exploration well in the Damara Fold Belt.
Reinsborough said the demining and brush-clearing activities on Prospect L were completed in March 2024.
He said heavy equipment and key personnel are now in the field, and the well pad and access roads are being constructed.
“We are meeting with our partner Namcor and the Ministry of Mines and Energy this week to finalise the detailed drilling program and future drilling and subsurface data acquisition plans,” he said.
Reinsborough thanked Namcorfor the continued support, saying ReconAfrica is encouraged by the overwhelming support from the people in Namibia, particularly those in the Kavango East and Kavango West regions.
“We have recently met with both governors of the Kavango region, who continue to express gratitude for Recon’s safe activities and community involvement. To date, we have employed over 1,350 people from the area, and our 36 community water wells have positively impacted the lives of over 10,000 people,” he said.
He added that Reconafrica looks forward to employing more people from the local communities now that our operations have once again progressed to the exploration and appraisal drilling phase.
Reinsborough is in Windhoek for the 2024 Namibia International Energy Conference from April 23 to April 25, 2024.
ReconAfrica’s three key personnel, Reinsborough, Robert Mwanachilenga, vice president and general manager, and Mwanyengwa Ndapewoshali Shapwanale, the Director of Communication and Stakeholder Relations, are participating.
ReconAfrica is a sponsor.
