Exploration Well in Namibia’s Orange Basin Comes Up Dry

An exploration well within a petroleum exploration license (PEL) in Namibia’s Orange Basin operated by France’s energy giant TotalEnergies has come up dry.

As reported by Africa Oil Corporation, one of TotalEnergies’ partners in the petroleum exploration license (PEL) 56, the Marula-1X exploration well within the southern part of Block 2913B was drilled to 6,460 meters of measured depth. Albian-aged sandstones within the Marula fan complex were targeted.

After the Deepsea Mira semi-submersible drilling rig owned by Northern Ocean (NOL) and managed by Odfjell Drilling started drilling the Marula-1X exploration well on February 3, 2025, no hydrocarbons were encountered in the primary target, the African player reported on April 28, 2025. A drill stem test was not performed, and a comprehensive analysis of the well results is now underway.

Before this, the Deepsea Mira was used to drill the Tamboti-1X exploration well, described as a 1 billion barrel target. The well encountered black oil within 85 meters of a net reservoir of lower-quality Upper Cretaceous sandstones, belonging to the Mangetti fan system.

Africa Oil has indirect interests in Blocks 2912 and 2913B through a 39.5% shareholding in its investee company Impact Oil & Gas, which has a 9.5% interest in each. These blocks are operated by TotalEnergies (47.2% interest in block 2912 and 50.5% in block 2913B), with partners QatarEnergy (28.3% in block 2912 and 30% in block 2913B) and NAMCOR (15% in block 2912 and 10% in block 2913B).

Block 2913B contains the world-class Venus light oil and associated gas field that was discovered by the Venus-1X well drilled in 2022, which encountered high-quality light oil-bearing sandstone reservoir of Lower Cretaceous age. According to Africa Oil, three follow-on appraisal wells have de-risked the field, with the results supporting the Venus development case.

In January 2024, a strategic farm-down agreement was announced between Impact and TotalEnergies, allowing Africa Oil to continue its participation in Venus and the follow-on exploration and appraisal campaign on Blocks 2913B and 2912 with no upfront costs. This deal closed in November 2024.

Africa Oil President and CEO, Roger Tucker, commented: “The farm down agreement between Impact and TotalEnergies that completed last year, provides full carry of Impact’s exploration and development costs on Blocks 2912 and 2913B through to first commercial production from these blocks. This presents us with an attractive opportunity set to test different geological plays on these blocks at no upfront cost.”

Rhino Resources and its partners within the PEL85 license offshore Namibia had more luck last week, finding 38 meters of net pay, with the reservoir showing good petrophysical properties and no observed water contact.