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

Venus

Also known as: Venus oil and gas project · the Venus oil and gas project · Venus development · Venus oil discovery · Venus fishing vessel · the major Venus oil discovery

Mining & Energy

Namibia must build policy institutions before oil success hardens

The News

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 →

Monday 20 April

  1. Namibia must build policy institutions before oil success hardens

    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 →

Friday 17 April

  1. TotalEnergies reports Venus oil project progress, 5,000 jobs expected

    TotalEnergies Vice President Mike Sangster met with President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to brief her on advances in the Venus offshore oil discovery, which the company expects will create about 5,000 direct and indirect jobs during construction. The company has submitted development plans to Namibian authorities and targets a final investment decision in mid-2026, though the project faces significant technical challenges including 3,000 metres water depth and location 320 kilometres from the coastline.

    17 April 2026 · New Era →

Thursday 9 April

  1. Foreign fishing crew alleges confinement and passport confiscation

    At least 15 foreign crew members, predominantly Russian, aboard the Venus fishing vessel owned by Hodago say they have been stuck on the vessel for several months with their passports allegedly confiscated by the company. The Russian Embassy told New Era it is aware of the situation and is working with relevant authorities to resolve the issue.

    9 April 2026 · New Era →

Wednesday 25 March

  1. TotalEnergies abandons US offshore wind, pivots to gas

    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 →

Wednesday 25 February

  1. TotalEnergies targets 2028 investment decision for Mopane oil

    French energy company TotalEnergies has confirmed approximately 1.5 billion barrels of discovered resources across its Namibian offshore petroleum licences, anchored by the Venus and Mopane projects, with the Mopane field alone estimated to hold 800 million to 1.1 billion barrels of recoverable resources and planned production exceeding 200,000 barrels per day once developed.

    25 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 4 February

  1. Chevron sponsors 2026 energy conference as Namibia prepares for first oil

    Chevron has renewed its diamond sponsorship of the Namibia International Energy Conference (scheduled for April 2026) as the country prepares for first oil following major offshore discoveries in the Orange Basin. The conference aims to bring together government, energy companies, and investors to discuss Namibia's emerging oil and gas sector, which analysts project could contribute up to 18% of GDP at peak production.

    4 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 3 February

  1. 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 →

  2. 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 →

Wednesday 28 January

  1. Venus oil project unlikely to generate government revenue until 2035

    Namibia's Venus oil and gas project is expected to produce first oil around 2030, but the government won't receive significant revenue until five years later due to the company's need to recover initial investment costs of US$15 billion. The environmental and social impact assessment estimates total government revenue of N$127–229 billion over a 25-year project timeframe, with petroleum income tax at 35% only kicking in after upfront costs are recouped.

    28 January 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 21 January

  1. Venus oil project to employ mostly foreign specialists, few locals

    The Environmental and Social Impact Assessment for the Venus oil and gas project reveals that most direct jobs will go to highly specialised foreign workers, with only 500 of 2,500 construction-phase jobs being direct positions that require skills not currently available in Namibia. While indirect employment in civil construction, transportation, logistics and workforce services may benefit local communities in Erongo and ||Kharas regions, the direct impact on national employment is limited.

    21 January 2026 · The Namibian →

Namibia Minute