QatarEnergy

Also known as: Qatar Petroleum

Oil and gas company partnering with Shell and Namcor on the Merlin-1X oil discovery in Namibia's Orange Basin.

2023-04-042026-08-21

What’s been said

Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.

August 2026
15 AugWindhoek Observer
QatarEnergy is advancing projects in oil and gas in Namibia
Source
“TotalEnergies, QatarEnergy and other partners are advancing projects, while final investment decisions are expected to become increasingly important during 2026.”
Does Namibia Have Enough Money?
June 2026
10 JunThe Namibian
QatarEnergy announced new oil discovery off the coast of Namibia with Shell
Source
“QatarEnergy and Shell have announced a new oil discovery off the coast of Namibia.”
New oil discovery offshore Namibia
February 2026
16 FebThe Namibian
QatarEnergy is the largest shareholder in Venus with 35.25% stake
Source
“The largest shareholder in Venus is QatarEnergy (35.25%).”
Namibia is a ‘golden province’ for TotalEnergies
August 2024
5 AugThe Namibian
QatarEnergy abandoned the Brulpadda and Luiperd gas project partnership
Source
“This came shortly after its main project partner, the strategically important QatarEnergy (owned by the state of Qatar and previously known as Qatar Petroleum), had thrown in the towel.”
TotalEnergies takes its foot off the gas – why SA lost a huge energy deal

Business

Namibia's capital-allocation problem versus money shortage

The News

Namibia's economic debate centres on whether the country has insufficient money, but observers argue it has substantial institutional savings, pension assets, and private wealth that are not being channelled into Namibian-owned productive enterprises. Public debt stood at N$167.2 billion (67.3% of GDP) in 2024/25 and was projected to rise to N$182.9 billion (67.5% of GDP) in 2025/26, while the Government Institutions Pension Fund held approximately N$209 billion in assets as of March 2026, with 47.8% invested locally.

15 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Saturday 15 August

Namibia's capital-allocation problem versus money shortage
Namibia's economic debate centres on whether the country has insufficient money, but observers argue it has substantial institutional savings, pension assets, and private wealth that are not being channelled into Namibian-owned productive enterprises. Public debt stood at N$167.2 billion (67.3% of GDP) in 2024/25 and was projected to rise to N$182.9 billion (67.5% of GDP) in 2025/26, while the Government Institutions Pension Fund held approximately N$209 billion in assets as of March 2026, with 47.8% invested locally.
15 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Wednesday 10 June

Shell and QatarEnergy announce oil discovery offshore Namibia
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 →

Saturday 25 April

Namibia struggles to convert oil wealth into local jobs and control
Namibia's offshore oil is legally owned by investors with 90%, while the state receives revenue through taxes and royalties, limiting the country's control over development decisions and ability to secure local benefits. President Nandi-Ndaitwah has positioned the delayed petroleum amendment bill as critical to strengthening the state's bargaining position on local content, job creation, and value retention, though fundamental investor control over operations cannot be altered.
25 April 2026 · Namibian Sun →

Wednesday 1 April

Namibia reviews TotalEnergies' Venus oil development plan
The Namibian government has begun reviewing a field development plan from TotalEnergies for the Venus oil project, a key step toward formal negotiations and investment approval. The project is projected to generate between N$127 billion and N$229 billion in government revenue over 25 years, potentially accounting for 7.9% to 14.2% of total government income.
1 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Monday 16 February

TotalEnergies expands in Namibia with Mopane field stake
French oil giant TotalEnergies has announced a deal with Galp to enter the Mopane field off Lüderitz with a 40% stake, complementing its 35.25% stake in the Venus field. The company plans to develop both fields as part of a multi-FPSO hub, with potential combined oil production of up to 350,000 barrels per day by 2030–2032.
16 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Friday 13 February

Libya awards first foreign oil licences since Gaddafi's fall
Libya granted oil exploration and production licences to foreign energy companies including Chevron and BP on Wednesday, marking the first such awards since Muammar Gaddafi's 2011 overthrow, though only five of 20 blocks offered received bids. Analysts attributed the limited response to concerns over Libya's political division and security risks.
13 February 2026 · New Era →

Tuesday 10 February

Energy Minister: TotalEnergies deal broke Namibia's approval requirements
Namibia's Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy expressed concern that TotalEnergies and Galp Energies failed to obtain prior government approval before announcing their acquisition of oil interests in PEL83 (Mopane discovery) and PEL56 (Venus discovery), despite such approval being legally required.
10 February 2026 · Informanté →

Tuesday 3 February

TotalEnergies and Galp reshape Orange Basin operatorship
TotalEnergies and Galp have announced a partnership reshaping operatorship of key offshore licences in Namibia's Orange Basin, with TotalEnergies taking over PEL 83 (Mopane) and Galp acquiring interests in PEL 56 and PEL 91 (Venus). The companies briefed President Nandi-Ndaitwah on their long-term commitment to developing these discoveries responsibly while creating jobs and economic benefits for Namibians.
3 February 2026 · New Era →
TotalEnergies, Galp brief president on offshore petroleum partnership
TotalEnergies and Galp Energia met President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to update her on their December agreement involving offshore petroleum licences, with TotalEnergies taking operatorship of the Mopane discoveries and Galp entering the Venus project. Both companies outlined expected contributions to employment and local industry participation, with Venus development projected to generate N$127–229 billion over 25 years.
3 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Friday 9 January

Oil discoveries position Namibia as African exploration frontier
Recent major offshore oil and gas discoveries in Namibia's Orange Basin since 2022 are attracting global investment and generating optimism across African upstream energy sectors, with additional drilling campaigns and exploration planned for 2026 and beyond to confirm commercial viability and advance development.
9 January 2026 · New Era →