The African Energy Chamber (AEC) is set to host a webinar focused on Namibia’s oil and gas exploration boom. Organised in collaboration with global energy research consultancy Wood Mackenzie and Namibia’s Ministry of Mines & Energy, the 'Exploration Hotspot: Focus on Namibia' webinar will discuss the latest discoveries and evolving upstream landscape in the country.

“The event will provide industry stakeholders with key insights into Namibia’s exploration opportunities, subsurface potential and the wider trends shaping the country’s energy sector,” the AEC said in a press statement on March 5.

The webinar will take place on March 20, with speakers including Maggy Shino, Petroleum Commissioner at Namibia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy, and Ian Thom, Research Director for Sub-Saharan Africa Upstream at Wood Mackenzie. The discussions of Namibia’s deepwater discoveries and upcoming developments will be moderated by AEC’s Senior Vice President Verner Ayukegba.

According to the AEC, the agenda includes a welcome address by Ayukegba, followed by a presentation on Namibia’s upstream landscape by Thom. Commissioner Shino will then share insights from the Namibian government’s perspective for the sector’s advancement before concluding with a Q&A session.

Namibia is poised to become a significant player in Africa's oil and gas industry, aiming to begin oil production by 2029, with recent developments in the Mopane field potentially bringing this timeline even closer, according to the AEC. Since 2022, the Orange Basin has seen multiple oil discoveries, attracting energy giants such as TotalEnergies (France), Shell (UK), and Galp Energia (Portugal). Notable finds include Graff-1X, Venus-1X, Jonker-1X, Lesedi-1X, and Mopane-1X, collectively accounting for over 11bn barrels of oil, as recently reported by NewsBase.

In 2025, exploration is expected to remain strong, with key wells currently being drilled, including Marula-1X by TotalEnergies and Capricornus-1X by Namibia-focused independent Rhino Resources. Additional prospects, such as Kharas by Bermuda-headquartered growth E&P company BW Energy, Olympe by TotalEnergies, and Saturn by Australia-based explorer Pancontinental Energy, highlight continued investment in Namibia’s upstream sector. Meanwhile, TotalEnergies and Galp are shifting to development, with TotalEnergies planning a 150,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel for its Venus structure, while Galp evaluates a hub for its Mopane discovery.

The webinar will provide exclusive insights into Namibia’s deepwater oil discoveries, their impact on global energy markets, and the strategies of key exploration players. According to the AEC’s statement, it will also explore the long-term outlook for development in the Orange, Lüderitz, Walvis, and Namibe basins, along with the risks and challenges operators face in transitioning from exploration to production, offering a complete overview of Namibia’s energy future.

“As Namibia continues to capture the attention of the global oil and gas industry, this webinar presents a unique opportunity to engage with experts, gain firsthand insights into emerging opportunities and assess the future of one of Africa’s most dynamic exploration frontiers,” the AEC said.