Reconnaissance Energy Africa said on Thursday its exploration well in Namibia had produced hydrocarbons to the surface for the first time onshore in the country, boosting hopes that its Kavango basin project could hold commercially viable resources.
The Canadian energy firm said production testing at the Kavango West 1X discovery well successfully flowed natural gas from the Elandshoek formation, with samples collected for laboratory analysis in the US.
The company is now moving equipment to test the shallower Huttenberg formation, where it has identified 76 meters of net hydrocarbon pay.
ReconAfrica, which owns the project alongside partners BW Energy and Namibia's National Petroleum Corporation, began testing operations on June 8.
The energy firm said the uppermost Elandshoek zone, covering 47 meters, flowed hydrocarbons to the surface during three separate tests, with production occurring intermittently over about 24 hours.
However, ReconAfrica said it was unable to determine accurate flow rates during testing due to equipment limitations.
The company said pressure readings increased between tests, reaching 2,300 pounds per square inch through the production casing before the second flow test, which it said indicated hydrocarbon deliverability.
The next phase of testing will focus on three Huttenberg zones spanning 182 meters of reservoir section. ReconAfrica said the Kavango West 1X well was designed with production casing across the entire 1,657-meter Otavi section, which includes both the Huttenberg and Elandshoek formations.
Though the configuration allows individual testing of six targeted zones, the company said the casing may limit access to natural fractures that could improve productivity.
ReconAfrica holds a 70% working interest in the project, with BW Energy owning 20% and Namcor holding a 10% carried interest. The partners are exploring the Kavango basin, a largely untested region in northeastern Namibia that has attracted international energy firms' attention.