Reconnaissance Energy Africa has provided a year-end corporate operational update on the progress of its projects in Namibia, Angola and Gabon, highlighting preparations for a production test at Kavango West 1X next year after only its second exploration well drilled in the Damara Fold Belt.
Brian Reinsborough, President and CEO, commented that the company had an active and productive 2025 in which it advanced on multiple strategic fronts. The company completed drilling its second well in the Damara Fold Belt resulting in the encounter of significant hydrocarbons, extended its acreage position into Angola at a low cost of entry and expanded its asset portfolio into offshore Gabon to help balance its investment risk profile.
The company is preparing for the production test at Kavango West 1X next year, with teams working on procuring the equipment needed for this test which is expected to commence operations by the end of the first quarter of 2026.
After recently visiting Namibia following the Kavango West 1X well results, the partnership group operated by ReconAfrica and including NAMCOR and BW Energy had the privilege of meeting President Nandi-Ndaitwah. Reinsborough expressed gratitude for the President’s recognition of the significance of hydrocarbons encountered in the Kavango West well and how the partnership can help support onshore hydrocarbon development and the long-term energy supply for Namibia.
After extensive wireline logging, the Huttenberg contained approximately 85 meters (280 feet) of net reservoir with 64 meters (210 feet) of net hydrocarbon pay across a gross interval of approximately 400 meters (1,300 feet) containing multiple limestone reservoir units. Mud and gas samples have been collected throughout this section and the deeper Elandshoek and have been sent to the United States for analysis.
The deeper Elandshoek contained an average of 20% total gas throughout the entire 560 meters (1,837 feet) drilled through the section indicating a hydrocarbon saturated section. The vast majority of the Elandshoek section produced visible oil sheens and oil bubbles in the mud pits at surface. Within this gross section, post well analysis shows 81 meters (265 feet) of hydrocarbon fluorescence observed in cuttings, a direct indicator of hydrocarbons.
Production casing and testing equipment is being sourced from multiple international locations. Testing operations are expected to commence in the first quarter of 2026 and is expected to last approximately four to eight weeks. The testing may include the evaluation of up to eight zones of interest with each test lasting 5 to 10 days.
ReconAfrica is the operator of PEL 73 with a 70% working interest. Its partners are BW Energy (20% working interest) and the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (10% carried working interest).
In April of 2025 the company signed a Memorandum of Understanding with National Agency for Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels of Angola for a joint exploration project in the Etosha-Okavango basin, located onshore in southeastern Angola. This agreement is a strategic addition to the company’s asset portfolio, which creates an opportunity for early entry into onshore Angola at a low cost, with minimal work commitments.
In September of 2025 the company signed a Production Sharing Contract with the Republic of Gabon and its national oil and gas company, Gabon Oil Company, located in the shallow waters offshore Gabon. The company is continuing to gather all the available seismic surveys and other technical data available on the Ngulu lease and is sourcing seismic reprocessing vendors.
Source: energy-pedia.com