Oslo-listed energy firm BW Energy says preliminary results from its Kharas-1 appraisal well offshore Namibia are “encouraging,” confirming hydrocarbon-bearing intervals and evidence of an active petroleum system across the Kudu licence (PPL 003) in the Orange Basin.
Drilled by the Deepsea Mira, a sixth-generation semi-submersible rig owned by Northern Ocean and operated by Odfjell Drilling, the well has now reached total depth after intersecting multiple target formations within a single borehole.
In a statement issued on 31 October 2025, BW Energy said the Kharas-1 appraisal well, which has reached total depth and drilled multiple formations across the Kudu license.
The well was strategically designed to intersect several targets within a single borehole.
The company said that while this approach did not allow for individual optimisation of each formation, it provided valuable geological data across the broader petroleum system.
Preliminary results encouraging
Several intervals indicate the presence of hydrocarbons and reservoir potential, suggesting a working petroleum system at Kharas. Early analysis indicates that the K1 interval may contain hydrocarbons wetter than dry gas.
A hydrocarbon migration front has been observed, and wireline operations are underway to assess reservoir quality, fluid type, and pressure characteristics.
A follow-up appraisal campaign will be required to evaluate the individual targets in greater detail. The outcome of the wireline program will guide decisions on the following well location and the future appraisal strategy.”
The update, signed by Martin Seland Simensen, Vice-President of Investor Relations at BW Energy, underscores both the technical promise of the well and the company’s cautious, data-driven approach to assessing commercial viability.
Reassessing a legacy discovery
Located about 130 kilometres off Lüderitz in 170 metres of water, the Kudu licence is one of Namibia’s oldest offshore discoveries. The original Kudu-1 gas field, discovered in 1974, has long been considered a primary untapped gas resource. Under BW Energy’s operatorship, the company is seeking to redefine the licence as a multi-play asset, targeting both gas and potential oil intervals.
BW Energy holds a 95 per cent working interest in the licence, while NAMCOR E&P, a subsidiary of Namibia’s National Petroleum Corporation (NAMCOR), retains 5 per cent.
The Kharas-1 well forms part of the company’s broader plan to update Kudu’s reservoir model and integrate legacy data with new deep-seismic interpretations from the Orange Basin, a frontier now attracting some of the world’s most significant exploration capital following the Venus and Graff discoveries further north.
High-spec drilling in Namibia’s new frontier
Drilling was carried out using the Deepsea Mira, a 2018-built sixth-generation semi-submersible based on the Moss Maritime CS60E design.
The rig is capable of operating in both benign and harsh environments at depths up to 3,000 metres, making it one of the most advanced units ever deployed in Namibian waters.
The campaign began in September 2025 under a rig-sharing agreement with Rhino Resources, enabling cost efficiencies and operational continuity. The sound design—intentionally configured to intersect several formations in a single borehole—was chosen to maximise data recovery across the petroleum system rather than to optimise individual reservoirs.
Early indicators and next steps
According to BW Energy, the wireline logging and pressure-testing programme now underway will determine the reservoir’s quality, fluid composition, and pressure characteristics.
These findings will shape the company’s next appraisal steps and could identify new well locations within the licence.
While the Kharas-1 results have bolstered confidence in the presence of hydrocarbons, BW Energy cautioned that “further appraisal work is essential” before any commercial conclusions can be drawn.
A follow-up appraisal campaign is planned for 2026 to evaluate each formation separately and determine flow potential.
If successful, the project could rejuvenate Namibia’s long-stalled Kudu gas-to-power initiative, a strategic component of the country’s Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6).
A cautious but significant milestone
For Namibia, the Kharas-1 results mark a milestone in efforts to diversify the country’s offshore portfolio beyond the high-profile deepwater oil finds by TotalEnergies and Shell.
If Kudu’s gas and condensate potential can be proven viable, it could establish the Orange Basin as a dual-resource province—combining deepwater oil in the north with mid-shelf gas in the south.
As BW Energy’s wireline testing continues, the industry’s attention remains firmly on the data emerging from Namibia’s waters — data that could determine whether the Kudu region finally fulfils the promise first glimpsed half a century ago.
