French oil major, TotalEnergies, has commenced public consultations in Windhoek, Namibia, as part of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for its proposed offshore Venus oil project in the Orange Basin.
The first session is being held today at the Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre, while the second is scheduled for April 23 at the United Nations Plaza.
These consultations, facilitated by Urban Dynamics, mark the beginning of the scoping phase of the ESIA and aim to ensure inclusive stakeholder engagement in the project’s planning process.
The sessions are designed to be interactive and accessible to all identified stakeholder groups affected by the planned oil development.
They offer community members the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback directly to representatives from TotalEnergies and its local partner, NAMCOR.
“Community members are invited to ask questions and share feedback with TotalEnergies and NAMCOR representatives,” said Laurent Roché, Managing Director for Exploration and Production at TotalEnergies.
“The partners are expecting feedback from stakeholders on the potential impacts of such a project so they can be studied by independent experts from SLR Environmental Consulting and presented first to community members for further input, and then to the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.”
The Venus oil discovery—located approximately 290 kilometers off Namibia’s southern coast in Block 2913B—was announced by TotalEnergies in February 2022.
Drilled by the Venus 1-X well, the find revealed around 84 meters of net oil pay in a high-quality Lower Cretaceous reservoir, making it one of the most significant offshore oil discoveries in recent years.
TotalEnergies holds a 45.25% operating stake in Block 2913B, alongside QatarEnergy (30%), Impact Oil and Gas (9.5%), and Namibia’s national oil company, NAMCOR (10%).
Engineering studies are currently underway to evaluate the development feasibility of the Venus field, with a Final Investment Decision (FID) expected in 2026.
In March 2025, Argeo ASA completed an extensive geophysical and geo-technical survey—critical inputs for both the ESIA and technical planning.
Once approved, the Venus project could begin production as early as 2029, with an initial output target of up to 180,000 barrels per day in its first phase.
TotalEnergies sees the Orange Basin development as key to cementing Namibia’s position as a rising energy hub in Africa.
In February, Custos Energy also announced a new oil discovery in the basin, further highlighting the region’s growing significance.
Data from Bank of Namibia (BoN) shows increased exploration and development activities in the Orange Basin contributed to a surge in Namibia’s foreign direct investment (FDI), which reached US$655 million in Q4 2024.
Further community engagement sessions are planned in key coastal towns including Walvis Bay, Swakopmund, and Henties Bay in the coming weeks.
