ReconAfrica is targeting initial gas production in Namibia by 2028 as it prepares for further drilling in the Kavango Basin, with the company considering a phased development that could supply electricity to the national grid rather than waiting for the construction of a large gas-processing facility.
Chief executive Brian Reinsborough outlined the company’s ambitions during an interview at African Energy Week in October, saying its immediate priority was to establish whether the gas encountered during exploration could support commercial production.
The proposed timetable represents a significant ambition for the Canadian-listed explorer, which has spent years investigating the petroleum potential of northeastern Namibia but has yet to establish a commercial producing operation in the country.
Reinsborough indicated that ReconAfrica would prefer to develop production in stages, allowing the company to begin with smaller facilities and expand as further drilling establishes the scale and productive capacity of the resource.
He explained that a major discovery could justify a large processing installation, but such a development would take considerably longer to construct. A smaller initial operation could provide an earlier route to market while the company continues assessing the broader potential of its exploration acreage.
The 2028 target remains conditional on successful drilling, production testing, regulatory approvals and the financing required to establish a commercial operation.
Horizontal drilling central to production plans
ReconAfrica’s next major challenge is to demonstrate that the hydrocarbons encountered during earlier testing can be produced at commercially viable rates.
During the interview, Reinsborough discussed the company’s transition from vertical testing towards horizontal drilling, referring to a proposed horizontal section of approximately 1,000 metres.
Horizontal drilling would allow the company to test a greater length of the targeted geological formation than a conventional vertical well, potentially providing a more complete understanding of reservoir performance.
The results will be important in determining whether the company’s discoveries can support sustained production and what type of infrastructure would be required to bring the gas to market.
ReconAfrica has previously reported natural gas reaching the surface during testing in Namibia, alongside indications of potential liquids. However, the earlier results did not establish measured commercial flow rates, meaning further technical work is necessary before the company can determine whether a producing development is economically viable.
Reinsborough’s latest comments suggest that the company is increasingly considering the practical requirements of production, although exploration results will ultimately determine whether its timetable can be achieved.
Electricity line offers possible route to market
One of the advantages identified by ReconAfrica is the presence of electricity transmission infrastructure near its exploration area, which could provide a market for gas produced from a successful development.
Reinsborough said the company was examining gas-fired power generation as a preferred option, potentially allowing electricity generated from Namibian gas to be supplied through existing infrastructure.
The availability of a nearby transmission line could reduce the need for entirely new long-distance electricity infrastructure, although a gas-to-power project would still require generation facilities, connections, commercial agreements and the necessary regulatory approvals.
ReconAfrica is also considering smaller-scale gas commercialisation options, including liquefied natural gas, as part of its assessment of how initial production could be brought to market.
The company has not disclosed a final development configuration, confirmed production volumes or announced binding electricity sales arrangements.
Its preference for phased development reflects the uncertainty surrounding the size of any commercially recoverable resource. Rather than committing immediately to a large processing plant, ReconAfrica is examining whether a smaller operation could be established and subsequently expanded if production results justify additional investment.
The strategy could also allow the company to establish an initial revenue stream while continuing exploration elsewhere within its Namibian acreage.
Commercial viability remains the decisive test
ReconAfrica’s production ambitions come as Namibia’s petroleum industry continues attracting international interest, although the country’s emerging oil and gas discoveries remain at different stages of appraisal and development.
Unlike the major offshore discoveries in the Orange Basin, ReconAfrica’s exploration programme is focused on the onshore Kavango Basin, where commercial development would depend on proving sufficient recoverable hydrocarbons and establishing an economically viable route to market.
Reinsborough described Namibia as central to the company’s longer-term ambitions and said its activities were intended to generate economic opportunities alongside exploration and potential production.
He pointed to employment, scholarships and community water projects undertaken in northern Namibia, including solar-powered boreholes, as examples of the company’s engagement with communities around its operations.
The company has also faced environmental and social scrutiny, making regulatory compliance and community engagement important considerations as it advances its exploration and potential development plans.
The significance of the latest production target lies in ReconAfrica’s attempt to move beyond identifying hydrocarbons towards determining how a Namibian gas discovery could become a commercial energy project.
A successful horizontal test would provide important evidence about reservoir productivity, while the availability of transmission infrastructure could help shape the economics of an initial gas-to-power development.
