Source: ReconAfrica
Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd. (ReconAfrica) has reported substantial progress in securing critical permits and initiating pre-construction activities for its flagship Prospect I exploration well in Namibia, edging closer to the long-anticipated drilling phase. The updates, provided alongside the company’s first-quarter 2025 financial filings, signal significant strides in overcoming regulatory hurdles and preparing the ground for operations.
Central to this progress is the advancement of permitting requirements for Prospect I, located within Petroleum Exploration License 73 (PEL 73) onshore Namibia. The company confirmed it is actively “completing permitting requirements and obtaining all regulatory approvals” specifically for the road and drill pad construction essential for accessing the site. This follows the crucial January 29, 2025 approval by the Namibian Ministry of Mines & Energy of the farm-down agreement granting BW Energy a 20% working interest in PEL 73.
Simultaneously, ReconAfrica has transitioned decisively into the physical preparation phase. The company stated that “pre-construction activities are currently underway” at the Prospect I location. These activities include critical groundwork such as de-brushing, de-mining, development of access road infrastructure, and preparation of the drill site itself. This on-the-ground mobilization underscores the tangible steps being taken following the permitting advances.
ReconAfrica emphasized its commitment to stakeholder engagement, noting the completion of “extensive stakeholder and community engagement activities” and the successful obtaining of “local consents,” a vital aspect of the social license to operate. The company reiterated its dedication to working “collaboratively with communities, governments and regulators.”
Management expressed strong confidence in the timeline, stating that the “sequence of completing the necessary pre-drill activities on Prospect I is progressing toward spudding the well.” Crucially, they indicated that “permitting for road and pad construction is proceeding,” paving the way for the next logistical steps. The current operational plan anticipates the drilling rig moving to the site “in late June with spud shortly thereafter.” While acknowledging potential logistical adjustments to the exact spud date, management affirmed that its “view regarding the prospectivity of the target remaining positive and unchanged.”
The selection of Prospect I as the next drill target, announced on January 30, 2025, was significantly influenced by results from the earlier Naingopo exploration well within PEL 73, which confirmed the presence of a carbonate reservoir and indications of oil. This well represents ReconAfrica’s largest exploration prospect drilled to date. Alongside the Namibian focus, the company highlighted its strategic expansion into neighboring Angola, finalizing a Memorandum of Understanding in April 2025 with Angola’s National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANPG) for joint exploration in the contiguous 5.2-million-acre portion of the Etosha-Okavango basin. ReconAfrica holds petroleum licences covering approximately 13 million contiguous acres across northeastern Namibia, southeastern Angola, and northwestern Botswana.
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