BW Energy reports encouraging results from Kharas-1 offshore Namibia

Positive step
Wonder Guchu
  • 13 Hours Ago
Oslo-listed BW Energy says preliminary results from its Kharas-1 appraisal well offshore Namibia are “encouraging,” confirming hydrocarbon-bearing intervals and evidence of an active petroleum system across the Kudu licence (PPL 003) in the Orange Basin.

Drilled by the Deepsea Mira, a sixth-generation semi-submersible rig owned by Northern Ocean and operated by Odfjell Drilling, the well has now reached total depth after intersecting multiple target formations within a single borehole.

In a statement issued on 31 October 2025, BW Energy said the Kharas-1 appraisal well was designed to intersect several targets in one borehole. While this approach did not allow for individual optimisation of each formation, it provided valuable geological data across the broader petroleum system.

Several intervals indicate hydrocarbon presence and reservoir potential, suggesting a working petroleum system at Kharas. Early analysis points to the K1 interval containing hydrocarbons wetter than dry gas.

A hydrocarbon migration front has been observed, and wireline operations are underway to assess reservoir quality, fluid type, and pressure characteristics. A follow-up appraisal campaign will be required to evaluate each target in greater detail. The outcome of the wireline programme will guide decisions on the next well location and the future appraisal strategy, the company said.

Martin Simensen, Vice-President of Investor Relations at BW Energy, said the update underscores both the technical promise of the well and the company’s cautious, data-driven approach to assessing commercial viability.



Reassessing a legacy discovery

Located about 130 km off Lüderitz in 170 mof water, the Kudu licence is one of Namibia’s oldest offshore discoveries. The original Kudu-1 gas field, discovered in 1974, has long been considered a primary untapped gas resource. Under BW Energy’s operatorship, the company is redefining the licence as a multi-play asset, targeting both gas and potential oil intervals.

BW Energy holds a 95% working interest in the licence, while NAMCOR E&P, a subsidiary of Namibia’s National Petroleum Corporation (NAMCOR), retains 5%.

The Kharas-1 well forms part of BW Energy’s broader plan to update Kudu’s reservoir model and integrate legacy data with new deep-seismic interpretations from the Orange Basin, a frontier now attracting significant exploration capital following the Venus and Graff discoveries further north.

Drilling was carried out using the Deepsea Mira, a 2018-built sixth-generation semi-submersible based on the Moss Maritime CS60E design. The rig can operate in both benign and harsh environments at depths up to 3 000 metres, making it one of the most advanced units ever deployed in Namibian waters.

The campaign began in September 2025 under a rig-sharing agreement with Rhino Resources, enabling cost efficiencies and operational continuity. The well was intentionally configured to intersect several formations in a single borehole to maximise data recovery across the petroleum system rather than to optimise individual reservoirs.



Next steps

According to BW Energy, the wireline logging and pressure-testing programme will determine the reservoir’s quality, fluid composition and pressure characteristics. These findings will shape the company’s next appraisal steps and could identify new well locations within the licence.

While the Kharas-1 results have bolstered confidence in the presence of hydrocarbons, BW Energy cautioned that “further appraisal work is essential” before any commercial conclusions can be drawn. A follow-up appraisal campaign is planned for 2026 to evaluate each formation separately and determine flow potential.

If successful, the project could rejuvenate Namibia’s long-stalled Kudu gas-to-power initiative, a strategic component of the country’s Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6).

For Namibia, the Kharas-1 results mark a milestone in efforts to diversify the country’s offshore portfolio beyond the high-profile deepwater oil finds by TotalEnergies and Shell.

If Kudu’s gas and condensate potential can be proven viable, it could establish the Orange Basin as a dual-resource province, combining deepwater oil in the north with mid-shelf gas in the south.

As BW Energy’s wireline testing continues, the industry’s attention remains firmly on the data emerging from Namibia’s waters - data that could determine whether the Kudu region finally fulfils the promise first glimpsed half a century ago. - Extractor Magazine