Namibia Minute.
24 April 2026
A daily Namibian brief · Est. 2026
Windhoek—:—London—:—New York—:—Beijing—:—
Organization

Chevron

Also known as: Chevron Namibia Exploration II Limited · Chevron Corporation

Energy supermajor operating in Namibia's Orange Basin, with exploration activities and offshore discoveries advancing toward first oil production by 2030.

Mining & Energy

Namibia's oil and gas sector advances toward development phase

The News

Namibia's oil and gas industry has shifted from early-stage exploration toward appraisal and development planning, with major international operators like Shell, TotalEnergies, and Galp positioning the country as an emerging regional energy hub. The sector is projected to contribute up to 5.8% to GDP annually during production, with first oil and gas expected between 2029 and 2030, provided governance and local content policies are strengthened.

18 April 2026 · Informanté →

Saturday 18 April

  1. Namibia's oil and gas sector advances toward development phase

    Namibia's oil and gas industry has shifted from early-stage exploration toward appraisal and development planning, with major international operators like Shell, TotalEnergies, and Galp positioning the country as an emerging regional energy hub. The sector is projected to contribute up to 5.8% to GDP annually during production, with first oil and gas expected between 2029 and 2030, provided governance and local content policies are strengthened.

    18 April 2026 · Informanté →

  2. US envoy promotes Namibia as regional energy and minerals hub

    U.S. Ambassador John Giordano highlighted Namibia's strategic role in a proposed Southern African Energy Corridor, emphasizing its potential as an oil and gas producer and leading uranium exporter, while noting that success requires clear regulatory frameworks and strong government-industry alignment. The remarks were made during a high-level engagement at the U.S. Embassy with global energy leaders ahead of the Namibia International Energy Conference.

    18 April 2026 · Informanté →

Friday 17 April

  1. Namibia accelerates oil sector reforms ahead of first production

    President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has announced a major push to accelerate petroleum reforms, including an exploration and production amendment bill, to improve regulatory efficiency and investor confidence as Namibia moves toward first oil production in the Orange Basin. Major operators including Chevron, TotalEnergies and Rhino Resources are advancing exploration and development activities, with emphasis on ensuring legal and institutional frameworks, local participation and broad-based economic benefits keep pace with upstream activity.

    17 April 2026 · The Namibian →

  2. Oil majors confirm drilling but no final investment decisions yet

    Despite targeting 2030 for first oil production, Chevron and Rhino Resources announced further drilling projects at Namibia's energy conference but neither committed to final investment decisions. The government hopes for FIDs by 2026, though policy uncertainty around gas flaring and regulatory delays are hindering investment confidence.

    17 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 16 April

  1. US Ambassador highlights Namibia as southern African energy corridor node

    US Ambassador John Giordano convened government officials and international energy executives at the US Embassy to advance integration of Namibia's energy, minerals and logistics systems into a scalable Southern African corridor. Giordano emphasized Namibia's potential as an oil and gas producer anchored by uranium production and robust infrastructure, while stressing the importance of regulatory clarity and alignment among governments, industry and capital for execution.

    16 April 2026 · New Era →

Wednesday 25 March

  1. US aims to partner with Namibia on energy and minerals

    US Ambassador John Giordano said at the Powering Africa Summit that Namibia's uranium, oil, and gas resources make it central to global energy security, and the US seeks to position itself as a development partner to help strengthen supply chain resilience while positioning American companies early in Namibian projects.

    25 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 19 March

  1. Chevron appoints Shapwanale as deputy country manager

    Chevron has appointed Mwanyengwa Shapwanale as deputy country manager and local content manager for its Namibia operations. Shapwanale, who previously worked as manager for local content and vendor assurance at Chevron and as deputy country manager at Reconnaissance Energy Namibia, brings more than a decade of experience in journalism and corporate communications.

    19 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 17 March

  1. Chevron appoints Shapwanale as deputy country manager

    Chevron has appointed Mwanyengwa 'Ndapewoshali' Shapwanale as deputy country manager and local content manager for its Namibia operations, strengthening its leadership team amid ongoing offshore exploration activity. Shapwanale previously worked as manager for local content and vendor assurance at Chevron.

    17 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Monday 16 March

  1. Chevron names new exploration chief overseeing Namibia operations

    Chevron has appointed Emmanuelle Garinet as director of exploration for the Americas and Sub-Saharan Africa as the energy supermajor enters a new phase of exploration-led growth across Africa. The company is evaluating prospects in Namibia's Walvis Basin and plans to drill an exploration well between 2026 and 2027, building on major deepwater discoveries in the Orange Basin.

    16 March 2026 · New Era →

Sunday 15 March

  1. Namra warns all mineral, petroleum licence transfers taxable

    Namibia's Revenue Agency has warned that mineral and petroleum licence transfers are subject to Namibian tax even when conducted abroad, with only 5% of companies currently complying. A tax amnesty expires in October, but industry representatives have raised concerns that the current tax regime discourages investment.

    15 March 2026 · The Namibian →

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