Galp Uncovers Additional Light Oil and Gas Condensate in Namibia’s Orange Basin. Portuguese energy company Galp has announced a significant discovery of light oil and gas condensate in its fifth well, Mopane-3X, within the Orange Basin offshore Namibia. This well is part of Galp’s ongoing exploration and appraisal program in blocks 2813A and 2814B, under Petroleum Exploration License 83 (PEL 83). The consortium for this license includes Galp Energia as the operator with an 80% stake, and partners Custos Energy and the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR), each holding 10% interests.
The Mopane-3X well, spudded on January 2, 2025, targeted two stacked prospects, AVO-10 and AVO-13, along with a deeper sandstone layer in the southeastern section of the Mopane complex, at approximately 1,200 meters water depth. Preliminary analyses indicate the presence of substantial columns of light oil and gas condensate in AVO-10, and light oil columns in AVO-13 and the deeper sand, all within high-quality sandstone reservoirs. Reservoir logs have confirmed favorable porosity, high pressure, and permeability. Initial fluid samples exhibit low oil viscosity with minimal CO₂ and H₂S concentrations.
The higher-than-anticipated pressures and initial results from Mopane-3X suggest the potential for expanded exploration and appraisal activities in the southeastern region of the Mopane complex. Data gathered from this well will be integrated into existing reservoir models to inform future operations. A proprietary 3D seismic acquisition campaign is slated for completion in the first quarter of 2025, with subsequent data processing to follow.
This discovery positions PEL 83 favorably amid a series of recent oil and gas finds in Namibia’s Orange Basin by major industry players such as TotalEnergies, Chevron, Shell, and Woodside. The region is rapidly emerging as a significant hydrocarbon province on the global stage.