Portuguese oil and gas company Galp has started drilling operations in the Mopane prospect complex, located in the southern area of the Petroleum Exploration License (PEL) 83 license in Namibia.
Drilling kicked off with the spudding of the Mopane 2X well – the first of two wells set to be drilled in the license area. Galp is utilizing the Hercules semi-submersible rig, a sixth generation deepwater and harsh environment rig which operates in water depths of 10,000 ft and 35,000 ft.
“The significant prospectivity of PEL 83, together with its relatively shallower water depth, position it to be one of the most significant and profitable opportunities in the Orange Basin,” stated Knowledge Katti, Chairman and CEO of Custos Energy – which holds a 10% interest in the license.
Located in the heart of Namibia’s offshore Orange Basin, the license is situated in close proximity to other sizeable finds made in 2022 and 2023, all of which opened the basin.