TotalEnergies has spudded the Venus-1X offshore exploration well in Namibia's Block 2913B (PEL 56). The well, seen as potentially transformational for the Namibian oil industry, is being drilled in 3,000 meters water depth.
The news of the drilling operation start-up was shared Wednesday by Impact Oil and Gas, which owns a 20% interest in Block 2913B. TotalEnergies holds a 40% interest in Block 2913B, Qatar Energy holds a 30% interest, NAMCOR, the Namibian state oil company, holds a 10% interest.
Petroleum Exploration Licence 56, Block 2913B, is located offshore southern Namibia and covers approximately 8,215km² in water depths up to 3,000 meters. Impact entered the licence as the operator in 2014, acquiring 2D, then 3D seismic data which defined the Venus prospect. TotalEnergies, then known as Total, joined the block as the operator in 2017.
TotalEnergies is using Maersk Drilling's Maersk Voyager drillship, a rig it recently used to drill the Ondjaba-1 well in Angola at a new world record water depth of 3,628 meters.
Commenting on the Venus-1X spud, Siraj Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer of Impact, said: “This is an exciting moment for Impact and our shareholders. Impact, together with our partners in the Government of Namibia, have been working to mature and drill the Venus prospect since 2014. Venus-1X is a world-class, basin opening well which, if successful, could be transformative for Namibia.”
Keith Hill, President and CEO of Africa Oil, a shareholder in Impact Oil and Gas, said: "I am very pleased that drilling operations for Venus-1X have commenced. As a potential basin opening well, if successful, this could be a high-impact catalyst for our shareholders."