Namibian energy minister wants gas master plan

African nation eyes roadmap for associated gas, complicating IOCs’ oil exploration activities

Namibia wants to discuss a gas master plan with IOCs drilling oil exploration and appraisal wells that have struck substantial associated gas volumes as the African country seeks to reach first crude production before 2030, Minister of Mines and Energy Tom Alweendo said in an interview with Petroleum Economist in Abu Dhabi. Ever since discoveries of light oil by TotalEnergies and Shell in Namibia’s Orange Basin made headlines in 2022, IOCs drilling wells offshore have had to grapple with difficulties extracting oil due to significant associated gas volumes at depths that can exceed 3,000 metres. In January, Shell revealed it had taken a $400m write-off on discovered resources deemed “commerc