Off-Shore Namibia Update Minister Mines/Energy...
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Shell, Total appraisals off Namibia in progress
Business | 2023-01-31Page no: 11
by Matthew Dlamini
THE whole off-shore Namibia, including the Orange Basin, the Lderitz Basin and the Walvis Basin, is ready for deep-sea oil exploration as is onshore Owambo Basin and the Karoo.
This was said by the Namibian petroleum commissioner at the Ministry of Mines and Energy, Maggy Shino, at the Africa Energy Chamber (AEC) event being held in London on Friday night. She announced that Shell's Jonker-1 exploration well is “going very well”.
According to Energy Voice, one of the leading global energy publications, she said all of these basins have possibilities.
Shell and Total Energies made discoveries offshore Namibia at Graff and Venus last year.
“I am proud to inform you we have commenced appraisal work on these two discoveries,” Shino said, highlighting the country's energy potential.
Shell spudded the Jonker well last month.
“I am not saying anything apart from that it is going well, it is going very well,” Energy Voice quoted Shino as saying.
The Deepsea Bollsta is working on Shell's Jonker well, while Total has charted the Tungsten Explorer for its appraisal work. The French company has also chartered the Deepsea Mira – the sister ship of the Bollsta – to begin work in Namibia in the second quarter.
According to Energy Voice, PGS and Searcher Seismic companies are working on acquiring data in the area, suggesting there were more discoveries to come.
“We are able to give you our commitment to accelerate and develop those fields at a much faster pace,” Shino continued.
“Shell and Total are using the port of Lderitz as a hub for their activities,” Shino said.
The commissioner said gas pipelines could come onshore around Lderitz, including from the long-neglected Kudu field. Among the options available for development were mini-liquified natural gas and even blue hydrogen plants.
Namibia has made the development of hydrogen a priority and has a number of projects in progress. The Hyphen Project is targeting the first production of green hydrogen in 2026-27.
Hydrogen commissioner James Mnyupe said Namibia was keen on securing investment in green hydrogen. Namibia launched a financing platform at COP27 to stimulate investments in this area.
“It is the first of its kind in Africa. We are going to build a US$1 billion (nearly N$15 million) fund that will invest in all these different things … pipelines, transmission lines, desalination plants and of course electrolysers. It is one of the easiest ways for anyone in the financial sector to express their interest,” Mnyupe told the AEC meeting.
The commissioner believes Namibia can get support from its neighbours, including PEM electrolysers from South Africa and copper wire from Zambia.
“That creates industrialisation opportunities not just for Namibia, but also the wider region as a whole,” he said.
Mnyupe highlighted South Africa's power challenges with Eskom, which have an impact across the region.
https://www.namibian.com.na/119397/read/Shell...n-progress
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