Custos Energy, an indigenous oil firm, has announced another significant oil discovery off the coast of Namibia, further solidifying the Orange Basin as a promising frontier for hydrocarbon exploration.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the company, along with operator Galp Energia and the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR), confirmed the discovery.
The Company also declared the successful drilling of the Mopane-3X well, marking the fifth well drilled under Petroleum Exploration License 83 (PEL 83) in the same month that Rhino Resources completed drilling the Sagittarius-1X well at the PEL 85 license, also located in the Orange Basin offshore Namibia.
“We are pleased to announce that the PEL 83 Joint Venture partners have successfully drilled, cored, and logged the Mopane-3X well (Well #5) on PEL 83, which spud on 2 January 2025,” the statement read.
Knowledge Katti, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Custos Energy, emphasized the significance of the discovery, stating:
“These additional discoveries in an entirely new section of Mopane further demonstrate the scale and quality of the complex. An emerging clarity on the multi-phase potential of Mopane is underpinned by this world-class asset.”
Preliminary data from Custos Energy revealed the presence of large columns of light oil and gas condensate in high-quality sandstones within AVO-10.
Additionally, light oil columns have been confirmed in both the deeper sand formations and AVO-13, also in high-quality sandstones.
The company further explained that fluid samples collected from the well indicate low oil viscosity and minimal concentrations of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide.
These samples have been sent to laboratories for further analysis.
Custos Energy noted that the promising initial findings, combined with the higher-than-expected pressures encountered at Mopane-3X, have created new opportunities for further exploration and appraisal in the southeastern region of the Mopane complex.
What You need to know
Mopane-3X is located approximately 18 kilometers from the first Mopane-1X well.
It targeted two stacked prospects, AVO-10 and AVO-13, along with deeper sand formations in the southeastern section of the Mopane complex.
The well was drilled at an approximate water depth of 1,200 meters.
Recently, Chevron announced in January 2025 that it had not found commercially viable oil and gas in its exploration efforts in Namibia’s Orange Basin.
This development came just days after the Mopane-2A well was drilled in the heart of the Orange Basin.
Drilling activities in Namibia’s Orange Basin are expected to accelerate in 2025, with an estimated seven to ten wells planned for exploration.
As industry experts closely monitor the region’s long-term viability, this year will be crucial for high-impact drilling efforts.
