Galp Energia has emerged as one of the key players in Namibia’s expanding Orange Basin following a series of discoveries at the Mopane prospect under Petroleum Exploration Licence 83 (PEL 83).
The block, located about 250 kilometres offshore Lüderitz in roughly 2,500 metres of water, is operated by Galp with an 80 per cent interest.
At the same time, the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor) and Custos Energy each hold a 10 per cent stake.
Drilling of the first well, Mopane-1X, began in late 2023 and intersected substantial light-oil columns in Lower Cretaceous sandstones.
In January 2024, Galp confirmed that the well had encountered hydrocarbons in high-quality reservoir rock. The second well, Mopane-2X, drilled approximately eight kilometres away, confirmed the lateral continuity of the same oil-bearing intervals and expanded the mapped reservoir footprint.
On 21 April 2024, Galp announced that the Mopane structure could contain up to 10 billion barrels of oil equivalent in place, based on internal analysis of drilling and test data.
Flow testing achieved the maximum permitted rate of 14,000 barrels per day, demonstrating intense pressure and good deliverability.
Reuters described the find as one of the largest yet recorded in the Orange Basin, a view supported by reports in Oil & Gas Journal and Energy Voice.
Galp’s appraisal programme continued into 2025 with Mopane-3X (Well #5), which confirmed additional light-oil and gas-condensate intervals in multiple stacked horizons, including the AVO-10 and AVO-13 targets. According to Galp’s investor announcements, laboratory analysis showed low carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide content, high permeability, and strong pressure communication.
The company reported that the results confirmed the presence of high-quality reservoir sands comparable to those of TotalEnergies’ Venus and Shell’s Graff discoveries further south.
Galp’s 2023–2025 drilling campaign comprised five wells — Mopane-1X, Mopane-2X, Mopane-2A, Mopane-3X, and Mopane-4X — and cost about US$400 million, according to company filings and coverage in OGJ.
While Galp has not published a figure for recoverable volumes, industry sources cited by Energy Voice and World Oil consider a range of two to three billion barrels to be a working assumption pending further appraisal.
The discovery wells confirmed that the Mopane system is oil-dominant but gas-supported, with associated condensate volumes that could later be used for enhanced recovery or small-scale power generation. Reservoir samples show light, low-impurity oil with minimal water and no detectable hydrogen sulphide, according to Galp’s laboratory results released in early 2025.
To finance the next stage of development, Galp launched a farm-down process in mid-2024 to sell up to 40% of its 80% interest in PEL 83.
Reuters reported that Shell, Chevron, TotalEnergies, Petrobras, and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) were among the firms reviewing data from the Mopane discovery.
The process is designed to bring in a technically experienced partner to share appraisal and development costs while ensuring compliance with Namibia’s local-content policies.
Galp has indicated it intends to remain the operator following any farm-down transaction.
The company’s forward plan includes the acquisition of new 3D seismic data, additional appraisal wells, and the preparation of front-end engineering designs.
A Final Investment Decision (FID) is expected in 2027, with development likely centred on a Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facility capable of producing around 150,000 barrels of oil per day.
According to Energy Voice and World Oil, total capital expenditure for full-field development could range between US$5 billion and US$7 billion, depending on final field design and tie-back configuration.
Mopane-3X and subsequent appraisal wells confirmed favourable pressure regimes and connectivity between stacked reservoirs.
Each of the wells tested multiple amplitude-versus-offset (AVO) anomalies identified in pre-drill seismic surveys.
The deeper intervals revealed oil and condensate across several horizons, reinforcing the interpretation that PEL 83 straddles an extensive hydrocarbon system comparable in scale to Venus and Graff.
Galp’s findings also indicate a consistent north-south petroleum trend along the Namibian section of the Orange Basin. Data released through Namcor show structural continuity between the Mopane block and the neighbouring TotalEnergies and Shell licence areas.
The combined data sets have allowed the national oil company to refine regional resource estimates and update its offshore prospectivity maps.
By early 2025, Mopane had become a benchmark project for Namibia’s upstream oil and gas industry.
The series of wells drilled since late 2023 provided confirmation of high-pressure light-oil systems across multiple reservoirs.
Test results verified excellent flow potential and high permeability, while core and log data demonstrated substantial porosity and minimal contaminants.
Industry analysts cited by Energy Intelligence and Upstream Online describe Galp’s discovery as one of the most significant in Africa over the past decade, given its scale, reservoir quality, and location within a rapidly developing basin.
The project joins Venus and Graff as part of a cluster of discoveries that collectively position Namibia among the emerging deep-water producers of the South Atlantic.
Galp’s confirmed discoveries and appraisal data have placed PEL 83 among the leading undeveloped assets in the basin.
The upcoming appraisal and design phases will determine commercial viability and export potential once the project reaches FID.
