Reconnaissance Energy Africa has announced spudding the second well (6-1) in the Kavango Basin in the Kalahari Desert of North East Namibia.

Operations

With the first string of casing set and cemented in the 6-1 well, the Company owned and operated 1000 HP rig (Jarvie-1) is drilling ahead to a target depth of 3,800 meters (12,500 feet). The 6-1 well is designed to evaluate the petroleum systems discovered in the first well (6-2) in an area of maximum thickness. These first two wells are within one of five major sub-basins of the larger, more laterally extensive, Permian aged deep Kavango basin.

The Company will take whole core, side-wall core and conduct a full logging suite of all zones of interest (conventional targets and source rocks). As with the 6-2, a comprehensive state of the art logging program over both sections will be provided by Schlumberger. In addition, a Vertical Seismic Profile (VSP) will be run to enable the most accurate tie-in possible, of well data, to the 2D seismic program scheduled to commence in June, 2021.

Technology

In keeping with the Company’s policy of implementing environmental best practices, ReconAfrica is using the most advanced drilling fluid available to protect the environment – a water-based system. This Polyamine system, provided by Valence Drilling Fluids, uses freshwater as the base fluid. The plant-based products added to the base fluid are created through an organic process and are biodegradable. Not only is this water-based drilling fluid 100 percent safe to the environment, it provides ideal samples (cuttings and core) to be utilized to determine a range of petroleum properties and locations for future exploration and production wells.

Community and Government Relations

The Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform has assigned a high-level team within his ministry, to which ReconAfrica will keep updated on the project. The committee represents the water resource management, water supply and sanitation, communal land management and agricultural projects departments, within the ministry. ReconAfrica is committed to the adherence of the laws, rules and regulations of Namibia. 

ReconAfrica places strong emphasis on hiring locally and nationally whenever possible. To date, the company has employed more than 200 Namibian residents in such roles as: electricians; rig floor-hands; project managers; material technical specialists.