WINDHOEK, March 26 (Xinhua) -- The National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR) on Thursday announced the start of production testing at the Kavango West-1X well in the Kavango Basin, in partnership with international oil firms, as exploration activity accelerates in the country.
The testing is being carried out under Petroleum Exploration License 73, an onshore block operated by Canadian firm ReconAfrica, which holds a 70 percent stake, alongside BW Kudu with 20 percent and NAMCOR's exploration and production subsidiary with 10 percent, the company said in a statement.
According to NAMCOR, all regulatory approvals have been secured, with field crews already on site preparing and executing testing operations at the discovery well.
Initial technical data from the Kavango West-1X well has shown encouraging results, with updated petrophysical analysis indicating about 75 meters of net hydrocarbon pay in the Huttenberg Formation, higher than earlier estimates, it said.
The production testing program will target six zones across both the Huttenberg and deeper Elandshoek formations, covering a total prospective interval of approximately 345 meters, the company said, adding that the process is expected to continue through the second quarter of 2026, with results to be released progressively.
"The commencement of production testing at Kavango West marks another important step in Namibia's upstream journey," Mtundeni Ndafyaalako, acting managing director of NAMCOR, said in the statement.
The development comes as Namibia seeks to expand its oil and gas potential beyond recent major offshore discoveries, positioning itself as an emerging energy frontier in Africa.
