Also known as: Orange Oil Basin
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
Windhoek Observer
… Justina said the country’s oil discoveries in the Orange Basin presented enormous opportunities but warned that economic transformation would be meaningless if workers were excluded from the benefits. …
Ngurare defends petroleum bill as MPs push for worker protectionsThe Namibian
The Energy Explainer Pt 3:Before any international oil companies (IOCs) invest a single dollar in Namibia’s Orange Basin, they run a quiet checklist, and most of it has nothing to do with oil.In this series, we have been using the analogy of a neighbour walking into your kitchen …
What Are Oil and Gas Companies Looking For?The Namibian
… The two oil companies are partners in petroleum exploration licence (PEL) 39 in the Orange Basin and announced the discovery on Tuesday. …
New oil discovery offshore NamibiaThe Namibian
… TotalEnergies, one of the most significant players in Namibia’s Orange Basin, is expected to make its final investment decision (FID) before 2026 ends. …
The Energy Explainer Part 2: The Readiness Gap – Why Most SMEs Aren’t Ready YetWindhoek Observer
… Namibia’s offshore Orange Basin remains the main focus of exploration activity following major oil discoveries announced by international operators over the past few years. …
Offshore oil, gas sector continues to attract international interestThe Namibian
… A GAME-CHANGER Namibia’s Orange Basin has delivered astonishing results that are turning heads across the global energy industry. …
How Namibia Can Leapfrog Africa’s Industrial TrapInformanté
… This dynamic, Jansen warns, remains highly relevant as Namibia stands on the brink of a potential resource boom driven by offshore oil and gas discoveries in the Orange Basin, as well as opportunities in critical minerals and green hydrogen. …
Singapore model holds lessons for Namibia’s growth pathInformanté
Business Reporter KNOWN to use drilling technologies that reach depths of 3,000 metres on the Namibian ocean floor—the abyssal zone, where light ceases to be—the technologies used in Namibia’s Orange Basin are capital-intensive and are said to be more advanced than those used to …
Race to get slice of oil and gas cake kicks off as Petrofund hosts workshop for MSMEsThe Namibian
… hief executive, Risco Mutelo, informed the court in a sworn statement that his company and the companies Vena Gemstones & Mining and Canadian Global Energy Corp applied for petroleum exploration licences in respect of Namibia’s blocks 2712A and 2812A, situated in the Orange Basin …
Company loses ‘urgent’ case about petroleum licenceThe Namibian
The real task is not to celebrate the Orange Basin. It is to govern it before its success outruns the country’s ability to shape it. …
Governing the Orange Basin Before Habits Harden Can institutions and policy mature quick enough to shape the basin before momentum hardens into habit?Namibian contract workers on TotalEnergies' offshore oil project say they were handed new employment terms on a 'take-it-or-leave-it' basis with no room to negotiate, citing concerns about no pension, limited medical aid, and years without salary increases. TotalEnergies and recruitment firm Apos deny wrongdoing, saying the new terms improve pay and benefits.
15 hours ago · The Namibian →
Namibian contract workers on TotalEnergies' offshore oil project say they were handed new employment terms on a 'take-it-or-leave-it' basis with no room to negotiate, citing concerns about no pension, limited medical aid, and years without salary increases. TotalEnergies and recruitment firm Apos deny wrongdoing, saying the new terms improve pay and benefits.
15 hours ago · The Namibian →
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called on Namibia and South Africa to move beyond exporting raw materials, saying the two countries must stop "exporting opportunities while importing prosperity" and instead build regional value chains through beneficiation and industrialisation to create employment.
17 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Namibia's rapid rise in the global energy market, driven by historic offshore discoveries in the Orange Basin, positions the nation to compete on local-content grounds.
17 July 2026 · Namibian Sun →
Namibia's offshore oil discoveries have attracted global interest, but international companies must embrace partnership, transparency, and shared progress rather than transactional models, with strict adherence to local taxation and labor laws required by the Ministry of Mines and Energy and NAMCOR.
9 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
The Minister of International Relations called on Chinese businesses to deepen investment in Namibia, specifically in mineral beneficiation, critical minerals processing, hydrocarbon exploration, renewable energy, and infrastructure development during the Namibia–China Business Forum in Shanghai.
8 July 2026 · Informanté →
Namibia's offshore oil discoveries have attracted international interest, but the country is enforcing strict local content requirements and regulatory compliance to ensure sustainable development and shared national progress. International companies must adhere to Namibian taxation and labour laws as a foundational requirement for operations.
6 July 2026 · The Namibian →
RHINO Resources' Capricornus-1A appraisal well offshore Namibia has confirmed an oil-bearing reservoir connected to the previously discovered Capricornus-1X well, providing evidence of reservoir continuity in the Capricornus discovery in Block 2914 of the Orange Basin.
3 July 2026 · Informanté →
Crude oil is the single most important commodity for Namibian macroeconomic conditions. Global oil price surges—driven by Middle East disruptions and supply constraints—cascade quickly into domestic fuel price increases, as demonstrated by April-May 2026 fuel price hikes of 19.9% for petrol and 43.9% for diesel.
30 June 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
As Namibia prepares for offshore oil production, the government must formalize and gazette the National Upstream Petroleum Local Content Policy (finalized in March 2025) to ensure Namibian businesses and workers benefit from the sector. The article uses a kitchen analogy to argue that formal rules—modeled on lessons from Brazil and Norway—are essential for Namibia to build generational wealth from its oil resources.
24 June 2026 · The Namibian →
An opinion piece argues that Namibia's real task is not to celebrate oil discoveries in the Orange Basin, but to develop the institutional, technical, and commercial discipline needed to govern them before project momentum shapes outcomes. Discovery creates only the possibility of achievement; the state must understand what resources it has found and govern them effectively before bad habits harden.
22 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare has defended the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Amendment Bill, saying it is necessary to safeguard Namibia's oil and gas industry and manage petroleum resources in the national interest. Ngurare urged lawmakers to put aside political differences and support the legislation, citing the unanimous bipartisan passage of the original Petroleum Act in 1991, while noting that debate has focused on criticism of placing the Upstream Petroleum Unit under the Presidency rather than on how citizens will benefit from newly discovered resources.
19 June 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Before investing in Namibia's Orange Basin, international oil companies assess not just geology but also government factors, with fiscal stability—assurance that tax rates and cost-recovery rules will not change—being the single most important requirement.
10 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Shell, alongside partners QatarEnergy and Namcor, announced an oil discovery from the Merlin-1X exploration well in PEL 39 in the Orange Basin. Namcor said the well has delivered good reservoir quality, light oil and limited associated gas, making it the best result of ten wells drilled in the licence so far.
10 June 2026 · The Namibian →
As TotalEnergies and other companies approach final investment decisions on Orange Basin projects before 2026, the oil and gas sector will begin broad procurement across raw materials, infrastructure, and services. However, most Namibian small and medium enterprises are not yet positioned to compete for these opportunities.
3 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Namibia's offshore oil and gas sector continues to draw international interest, with a hydrocarbon licence map showing growing exploration activity across coastal basins and frontier areas. Multiple international oil companies hold exploration licences, with newly allocated blocks involving companies such as Baobab Energy, Elephant Oil, and others, while the offshore Orange Basin remains the main focus following recent major oil discoveries.
8 May 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Recent oil and gas discoveries in the Orange Basin, with an over 80% exploration success rate, position Namibia to avoid reliance on imported fuel and build local refining capacity—a lesson highlighted by recent fuel price shocks tied to Middle Eastern conflicts.
5 May 2026 · The Namibian →
Economist Almandro Jansen argues that Namibia's emerging oil, gas and mineral wealth could drive long-term economic transformation or deepen structural challenges depending on governance and institutional reform. Singapore transformed from a low-income economy (US$500 GDP per capita in 1965) into a high-income hub (exceeding US$100,000 by 2025), while Namibia has reached upper-middle-income status with roughly US$5,000 GNI per capita but remains constrained by high unemployment, limited diversification, and rising fiscal pressures.
3 May 2026 · Informanté →
Petrofund, Namibia's Petroleum Training and Education Fund, has commenced a two-day workshop to help Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises understand opportunities and global standards required by International Oil Companies in the oil and gas sector. Minister Modestus Amutse emphasised that the initiative aligns with the government's strategy to increase MSME contribution to the national economy from 16% and noted that local capacity development is critical as Namibia approaches its first Final Investment Decision.
22 April 2026 · Informanté →
Acting judge David Mangota ruled that Zambezi Exploration's urgent application to restrain the minister of industries, mines and energy from implementing a decision about a petroleum exploration licence for block 2812A did not meet the requirements to be heard as urgent, finding the urgency was self-created because the company delayed action after learning of a rival's relinquishment in January 2023. The judge ordered Zambezi Exploration to pay the legal costs of the minister and Vena Gemstones & Mining, the company that was awarded the licence.
21 April 2026 · The Namibian →
Namibia's emerging Orange Basin oil and gas discoveries require strong regulatory and policy frameworks before commercial development momentum becomes difficult to redirect. The country must develop technical regulatory strength, clarify its fiscal regime, and build credible local content systems before major projects are sanctioned, drawing lessons from Guyana, Trinidad, Mozambique and other petroleum states.
20 April 2026 · The Namibian →
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 →
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 →
Shell has drilled 25 exploration wells in Namibia's Orange Basin over four years, a company record. The company's VP for exploration said this milestone reflects improved operational conditions under President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah's leadership.
17 April 2026 · The Namibian →
Namibia and Angola signed a power purchase agreement and joint development agreement for the Angola-Namibia Power Transmission Interconnector Project (ANNA), estimated to cost about N$941 million and scheduled for completion in 2029. The 166-kilometre transmission line will link the Kunene substation in Namibia to the Cahama substation in Angola, with an initially projected capacity of up to 500 MW to enhance power system reliability and regional energy trade.
16 April 2026 · New Era →
Namibia will host the 8th Namibia International Energy Conference in April 2026, with President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah expected to open the event. The conference theme, "The Road to First Oil & Beyond: Partnership, Investment, Growth," will focus on turning offshore oil discoveries in the Orange Basin into economic value for Namibians and supporting broader economic development across multiple sectors.
10 April 2026 · New Era →
According to Africa Provider Offshore Services CEO Veronique Herman, Namibia should leverage its oil and gas discoveries to build economic sovereignty by ensuring local ownership and participation, maintaining strict compliance with Namibian laws, and fostering collaboration among domestic companies to keep wealth and expertise within the nation.
10 April 2026 · New Era →
Petrovena Energy has been issued an award letter to enter into a petroleum agreement and be granted a licence for oil block 2812Ab in the Orange Basin, according to its Canadian partner Oregen Energy. If granted, Petrovena will expand its presence in the basin near existing discoveries of Venus and Mopane, while Oregen considers investing in Petrovena to gain access to the block.
10 April 2026 · The Namibian →
Energy company TotalEnergies has agreed to exit US offshore wind development, relinquishing two leases and receiving refunds under a settlement with the US Department of the Interior. The company will redirect its investment into US gas and power projects, citing offshore wind's high costs and potential to increase electricity prices.
25 March 2026 · New Era →
Bank Windhoek's acting executive officer of specialist finance noted that the coast now accounts for around 20% of Namibia's housing transactions, driven by lifestyle migration, tourism investment, and rental market growth. He flagged constraints including affordability challenges and supply limitations, and called for collaboration to expand housing supply and align investment with infrastructure as offshore oil and gas activity reshapes coastal property dynamics.
20 March 2026 · New Era →
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 →