The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), through the Environmental Compliance Consultancy, has approved ReconAfrica’s application for an Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC).
In a media statement issued on Friday, Environmental Commissioner, Timoteus Mufeti, said ReconAfrica’s next phase is to drill an exploration and appraisal oil and gas well in the Kavango Basin.
“As part of the progressive processes of de-risking the Kavango Sedimentary Basin (KSB), ReconAfrica is proposing to drill prioritised exploration and appraisal wells designed to confirm the existence of economic oil and gas resources,” Mufeti said.
The environment commissioner stated that the objectives of the proposed exploration and appraisal wells drilling programme is to continue with the search for oil and gas in the Kavango sub-basin and the associated sub-basins, and to identify potentially commercial petroleum systems.
Based on the submitted reports, the previous studies undertaken in the area since 2018, as well as the experiences, environment monitoring by MEFT, the Environmental Compliance Consultancy through systemic assessment is convinced that the potential negative impacts to the individual drilling sites will be low, he said.
Speaking in an interview with Nampa on Thursday, ReconAfrica Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations, Ndapewoshali Shapwanale said the drilling is to commence from 04 July 2023 to 04 July 2026.
“The primary objective of the drilling programme is to establish commercial accumulations of oil and natural gas and liquids, which were identified in the first three stratigraphic test wells,” Shapwanale said.
Moreover, Shapwanale added that the management’s current focus in the third and fourth quarter of 2023 is developing and prioritising its prospect inventory, in order to execute a multi-well drilling programme targeting both primary plays; the Damara Fold Belt and the Karoo Rift Basin, with initial emphasis on the Damara Fold Belt as detailed in the company’s 26 June 2023 news release.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency