Covid-19 delays oil exploration in Kavango

KENYA KAMBOWE KAWE Reconnaissance Energy Africa (ReconAfrica), which has an interest in exploring oil and gas in the Kavango basin, has been forced to defer its drilling processes to later this year due to the current coronavirus pandemic. ReconAfrica is a Canada-based oil and gas company, which in January 2015 obtained a licence to explore oil and gas as well as the development of oil in Namibia. The company holds 90% interest in a petroleum exploration licence in north-east Namibia, which covers the entire Kavango sedimentary basin. Speaking about the setback was ReconAfrica's deputy general manager in Namibia, Yusneurys Perez Martinez, who said they had anticipated to start with the first of the three drilling locations by June, however, due to the negative global impact of the coronavirus, the plan had to be postponed.3.6km exploration wellMartinez was speaking at Kawe village in the Rundu Rural constituency in the Kavango East Region where the company donated food items worth N$75 000, benefitting about 100 needy families. “We anticipated to start in the middle of the year but because of the coronavirus pandemic restriction globally, we had to postpone it for the end of the year,” Martinez said. He further elaborated on their expectations regarding exploring oil and gas in the Kavango basin. Martinez said ReconAfrica plans to drill a 3.6km exploration well which will allow them to see what kind of rocks they can find. Prolific sedimentary basin “The company, since it got its licence in January 2015, we have been assessing all geological and geophysical data and we have identified a prolific sedimentary basin which we believe can hold a meaningful amount of iron carbons within the area,” Martinez said. The drilling permit from the environment ministry covers the entire PEL 73 area, allowing the drilling of a number of wells in the Kavango Basin until August 2022. The first renewal period for the exploration licence is estimated to cost roughly N$143 million.

Covid-19 delays oil exploration in Kavango

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Namibian Sun 2025-10-14

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Covid-19 delays oil exploration in Kavango

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Namibian Sun 2025-10-14

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