Halliburton and Rhino Resources successfully completed two exploration wells offshore Namibia inside Petroleum Exploration License (PEL) 85, the companies announced this week.
The exploration wells are the first to be fully completed off in-country infrastructure with the support of Halliburton's just-established operational bases in Walvis Bay, Swakopmund, and Lüderitz.
"This milestone is testimony to what can be achieved when global-class technology, local collaboration, and shared long-term vision come together," said Antoine Berel, vice president, Halliburton Sub-Saharan Africa. "Our newly built infrastructure in Namibia enabled this discovery, which will enable the unlocking of Namibia's energy potential and create the capability to serve the future of Namibia as an energy hub for Africa."
As Namibian offshore basins attract global interest, the success of the campaign in setting a higher standard for energy development in the area.
"Last year at the beginning of the drilling campaign, we informed our partners that the exploration work by Rhino in Namibia had to show geological potential at the same time as delivering long-term worth to the country,\" said Travis Smithard, CEO of Rhino Resources. "Findings on Block 2914 are a welcome start to this endeavor that will assist in constructing the foundation that we are laying for Namibia's developing oil and gas sector - a sector founded on knowledge and skills transfer, capacity development and empowering young Namibians."
Halliburton and Rhino Resources in October 2024 launched the Rhino-Halliburton Technology Centre at UNAM Southern Campus, a state-of-the-art hub with the aim to enhance the geoscience education and research of the country. The center is a long-term investment in Namibia's future youth who will be the country's future human capital and scientific minds in the energy sector.
The Namibian-first, integrated, and collaborative strategy emphasizes the contribution that Rhino Resources and Halliburton bring to Namibia and serves as a template for establishing future projects throughout the country and region.