Drilling Is Imminent at Namibia’s Mopane Oil Giant, TotalEnergies Boss Says, With a Verdict Due in 2028
Namibia’s next big oil test is about to begin. TotalEnergies chief executive Patrick Pouyanné said drilling is imminent at the Mopane oil deposit, putting fresh capital into a country that has become one of the industry’s most closely watched exploration frontiers.
Namibia has drawn other energy majors, including Shell and BP, with a series of large offshore discoveries that promise to turn the nation’s Atlantic coast into sub-Saharan Africa’s hottest oil play.
TotalEnergies took control of Mopane in September and will decide in 2028 whether to develop it once the drilling is done. The company took a 40% operated stake in the licence after Namibia approved its asset swap with Galp, and has outlined a three-well appraisal campaign due to start in the first quarter of 2027. TotalEnergies already operates Namibia’s offshore Venus oil deposit, which is much further along than Mopane, with preparation for development under way.
Negotiations with the Namibian government over commercial terms for Mopane have delayed a final investment decision, but Pouyanné said he was “optimistic” that they would be concluded. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has prioritized value addition to create “decent jobs … and better lives” for Namibians.
Source: semafor.com, petroleum-economist.com
