As Namibia cements its position as Africa’s top exploration hotspot, the African Energy Chamber will host a webinar, in partnership with Wood Mackenzie and the Ministry of Mines and Energy, to discuss the latest discoveries and evolving upstream landscape.
The African Energy Chamber (AEC) will host an upcoming webinar – Exploration Hotspot: Focus on Namibia – in collaboration with Namibia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy and global energy research and consultancy firm Wood Mackenzie. The event will provide industry stakeholders with key insights into Namibia’s exploration opportunities, subsurface potential and the wider trends shaping the country’s energy sector.
Scheduled for Thursday, 20 March the webinar will feature a distinguished lineup of speakers, including Maggy Shino, Petroleum Commissioner at Namibia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy, and Dr. Ian Thom, Research Director for Sub-Saharan Africa Upstream at Wood Mackenzie. Moderated by Verner Ayukegba, Senior Vice President of the African Energy Chamber, the discussion will shed light on Namibia’s deepwater discoveries, evolving exploration landscape and upcoming developments in one of Africa’s most promising hydrocarbon frontiers.
Namibia has emerged as Africa’s leading exploration hotspot following the landmark Graff and Venus deepwater discoveries by Shell and TotalEnergies in the Orange Basin. Since these groundbreaking finds three years ago, exploration has surged, with over 20 additional wells drilled and nine significant discoveries made by leading operators, including Shell, TotalEnergies, Galp, Chevron and Rhino Resources.
Looking ahead, exploration activity is expected to remain robust throughout 2025, with major wells currently being drilled, including Marula-1X by TotalEnergies and Capricornus-1X by Rhino Resources. Additional prospects have been identified at Kharas by BW Energy, Olympe by TotalEnergies and Saturn by Pancontinental, signaling continued investment and confidence in Namibia’s upstream potential. TotalEnergies and Galp are now shifting their focus toward development, with TotalEnergies planning a 150,000-barrel-per-day FPSO facility on the Venus structure and Galp evaluating a hub for its giant Mopane discovery.
During the webinar, participants will gain exclusive insights into the significance of Namibia’s deepwater oil discoveries for global energy markets, the key players driving exploration and their strategies for value creation and the long-term outlook for exploration and development in the Orange, Lüderit, Walvis and Namibe basins. The discussion will also cover the risks and challenges facing operators as they transition from exploration to production, offering a comprehensive overview of the opportunities and obstacles shaping Namibia’s energy future.
The webinar will take place at 10:00 – 11:00 (Central Standard Time/ GMT-5); 17:00 – 18:00 (West Africa Standard Time/ GMT +1); 16:00 – 17:00 (Western European Time/ GMT+1). The agenda includes a welcome address by Ayukegba, followed by a presentation from Dr. Thom on Namibia’s upstream landscape. Commissioner Shino will then provide insights from the Namibian government’s perspective before concluding with a Q&A session.
As Namibia continues to capture the attention of the global oil and gas industry, this webinar presents a unique opportunity to engage with experts, gain firsthand insights into emerging opportunities and assess the future of one of Africa’s most dynamic exploration frontiers. Register now to secure your spot and stay informed on the latest developments shaping Namibia’s energy sector. Click here to register.
*Source African Energy Chamber
