Galp has confirmed a “significant column of light oil” at its Mopane-1X well, offshore Namibia.
The Portuguese company drilled the well in PEL 83, in the Orange Basin. The company had noted earlier this month that the signs were promising at the well.
Today, Galp has confirmed the light oil discovery in reservoir-bearing sands of high quality, it said. The company will analyse the acquired data and expects to carry out a drill stem test (DST) in the coming weeks, in order to assess commerciality.
Galp will drill Mopane-1X deeper, in order to explore further targets, it said. Once the work is complete, it will relocate the rig to drill Mopane-2X for further evaluation.
The company is using the Hercules semi-submersible for its drilling on PEL 83.
Namcor, a partner on the block, confirmed the find. The state-owned company said the discovery was a “momentous step in the Namibian oil and gas journey”. The find is “not just an achievement for us but a beacon of hope for Namibia’s economic future”.
Galp’s work in the Orange Basin is close to that of other companies. TotalEnergies’ two rigs, Tungsten Explorer and Deepsea Mira are around 100 km away from Mopane-1X, while Shell’s Deepsea Bollsta is slightly further away.
Odjfell Drilling manages all three rigs. Once the Hercules has completed its work with Galp, the rig will return to Canada for Equinor. This contract will run until the end of 2024.
Galp is the operator of PEL 83 with an 80% stake. Namcor and Custos Energy have 10% each.
Updated at 11:37 am with Namcor comment.
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