Shell says its latest exploration well in Namibia’s Orange Basin has delivered the most promising subsurface results so far within Petroleum Exploration Licence 0039, strengthening the company’s assessment of the offshore block’s oil potential.
The Merlin-1X exploration well, drilled offshore Namibia by Shell together with partners QatarEnergy and NAMCOR, successfully penetrated the Coniacian play and encountered what the company described as good reservoir quality containing light oil with limited associated gas.
Shell said the well was spudded on 8 April 2026 and became the tenth exploration well drilled within PEL 0039.
The company said the results improve its understanding of the Orange Basin petroleum system and support continued evaluation of the resource and its commercial potential across the licence area.
The Orange Basin offshore Namibia has become one of the world’s most closely watched oil exploration regions following a series of major discoveries by international energy companies over the past few years.
Shell said further drilling within the licence area later in 2026 is now under consideration as part of a broader exploration and appraisal programme.
Executive vice president for exploration, strategy and portfolio Eugene Okpere said the Merlin-1X results represent another important step in understanding the basin’s potential.
“These are encouraging results that add to our understanding of the Orange Basin potential,” Okpere said.
“We are progressing this opportunity through a disciplined, data-led approach to establish commerciality, focusing our investment on options that are material, competitive and resilient within our portfolio.”
He said the company’s work in Namibia continues to rely on close cooperation with the Namibian government and project partners.
“This is built on strong partnership and alignment, and I thank the Government of the Republic of Namibia, our partners and all teams involved,” Okpere said.
Shell operates PEL 0039 in partnership with QatarEnergy and Namibia’s national oil company NAMCOR.
The latest Merlin-1X results come as Namibia continues to attract growing international attention from oil majors and investors seeking exposure to the Orange Basin, where companies including Shell, TotalEnergies, Galp and Rhino Resources continue to advance exploration and appraisal activities.
