TotalEnergies Secures 40% Operatorship of Namibia’s Mopane Discovery in PEL 83
TotalEnergies has completed its transaction with Galp Energia, formally acquiring a 40% operated interest in Petroleum Exploration Licence 83 (PEL 83) offshore Namibia, which contains the significant Mopane discovery.
The transaction, first announced in December 2025, strengthens TotalEnergies’ position in Namibia’s Orange Basin and expands its role in the country’s rapidly developing offshore oil and gas sector.
TotalEnergies Takes Operatorship
Under the completed transaction, TotalEnergies assumes operatorship of PEL 83, while Galp has taken a 10% interest in the Venus discovery in neighbouring PEL 56. The transaction was approved by Namibian authorities in July 2026.
The Mopane discovery is located in Namibia’s Orange Basin, an emerging offshore petroleum province that has attracted major international oil companies following a series of significant discoveries.
TotalEnergies already operates neighbouring offshore licences in the basin, including the licence containing the Venus discovery, which is being advanced as Namibia’s potential first large-scale deepwater oil development.
Mopane Adds to Namibia’s Offshore Potential
TotalEnergies’ entry as operator gives the company greater control over exploration and appraisal activities at Mopane while consolidating its footprint in one of Africa’s most closely watched emerging oil regions.
The company’s expanded position comes as Namibia moves toward commercialising its offshore discoveries and attracting further investment into exploration, development and supporting infrastructure.
The Venus project is also advancing, with the field development plan submitted to Namibian authorities and development studies progressing toward a potential final investment decision.
For Namibia, TotalEnergies’ expanded role reinforces the country’s growing importance in the global offshore oil and gas industry and could support the development of local technical, services and supply-chain opportunities as projects move closer to production.
