ReconAfrica has reported the first successful recovery of hydrocarbons to the surface from an onshore well in Namibia after completing production tests on the Kavango West 1X discovery well, marking an important technical milestone in the company’s exploration programme in the Damara Fold Belt.
The Canadian oil and gas explorer announced on Thursday that production testing of the deeper Elandshoek Formation yielded hydrocarbons, with natural gas reaching the surface on three separate flow tests.
The company has now moved testing equipment to the shallower Huttenberg Formation, where well log interpretation identified 76 net metres of hydrocarbon pay within a 182-metre reservoir interval.
ReconAfrica president and chief executive Brian Reinsborough described the results as a significant step in evaluating the company’s first onshore discovery.
“We are very excited to have produced hydrocarbons to surface on the Kavango West production test, which are the first hydrocarbons ever produced to surface onshore Namibia.”
The Kavango West 1X well is operated by ReconAfrica, which holds an 80% working interest, alongside BW Energy, which holds 20%, while the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor) retains a 10% carried interest.
Production testing commenced on 8 June 2026 and initially focused on three zones within the Elandshoek Formation.
According to the company, the uppermost 47-metre interval flowed hydrocarbons to the surface during three separate production tests conducted over a combined period of about 24 hours.
ReconAfrica said hydrocarbon samples were collected for laboratory analysis while the remaining produced hydrocarbons were flared at the surface.
The company cautioned that it was unable to obtain accurate flow-rate measurements due to limitations of the testing equipment.
However, it reported that tubing pressure increased to 2,300 pounds per square inch (psi) before the second production test, which it believes demonstrates the reservoir’s ability to deliver hydrocarbons.
Approximately eight litres of hydrocarbon samples were collected using IsoTube sampling equipment and will be analysed at laboratories in the United States.
The laboratory work is expected to determine the composition of the produced fluids, including whether they comprise dry natural gas or natural gas associated with condensate or other natural gas liquids.
The company said the production tests also provided important information about the reservoir.
“Knowing that the Elandshoek formation had naturally fractured carbonate rocks, we are pleased to learn that those fractures support production.”
Based on the results, ReconAfrica is evaluating the possibility of drilling a horizontal or deviated sidetrack from the existing well to intersect a larger portion of the natural fracture network.
The company said naturally fractured carbonate reservoirs elsewhere in the world commonly achieve significantly higher production rates from horizontal wells than from conventional vertical wells.
Attention has now shifted to the Huttenberg Formation, where the company believes the reservoir possesses favourable matrix porosity that may allow production through the existing well configuration.
Production testing will target three Huttenberg intervals, with each zone expected to require up to 10 days to evaluate.
ReconAfrica said it expects to provide its next operational update towards the end of August.
The company has not declared a commercial discovery or released estimates of recoverable reserves from the well. Instead, the current programme is designed to determine reservoir productivity and gather engineering data needed to evaluate future appraisal and development options.
ReconAfrica’s exploration programme covers approximately 13 million contiguous acres across northeastern Namibia, southeastern Angola and northwestern Botswana.
The company is exploring the Damara Fold Belt and Kavango Rift Basin, while also operating the Ngulu Block offshore Gabon.
For Namibia, the latest results represent an important technical milestone in the country’s onshore petroleum exploration programme.
While commercial viability remains to be established through further testing and appraisal, the successful recovery of hydrocarbons to the surface confirms the presence of a working petroleum system at the Kavango West discovery. It provides the data required for the next phase of evaluation.
