The Noble Venturer drillship is scheduled to arrive in Walvis Bay next week to commence drilling operations for Rhino Resources on Block PEL-85.
The campaign will target two key prospects, Volans-1 and Sagittarius-1, and is expected to last at least 100 days.
This state-of-the-art seventh-generation Samsung 96-K drillship, built in 2014, is equipped to operate in water depths of up to 12,000 feet and drill as deep as 40,000 feet. With a crew capacity of 230, the vessel is poised to support this ambitious exploration effort.
The project follows the approval of Rhino Resources Namibia Ltd.’s Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC) by Namibia’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism, allowing for the drilling of up to 10 exploration and appraisal wells along the country’s southern coast.
Blake Denton, Noble’s Senior Vice President of Marketing and Contracts, expressed excitement about the campaign and praised the Noble Venturer crew.
“Their efficiency during our campaign with Tullow and service partners has opened new opportunities to collaborate with Rhino Resources and Trident Energy,” Denton noted, adding that returning to Namibian waters is particularly meaningful following the Noble Voyager’s success with TotalEnergies’ groundbreaking Venus discovery.
The campaign is expected to inject approximately N$1.8 billion (US$94 million) into Namibia’s local economy, particularly benefiting the communities of Luderitz and Walvis Bay.
Monthly expenditures of about N$70 million (US$3.75 million) will support hotels, accommodation, logistics, and fuel services, creating significant economic opportunities for local businesses.
Additional exploration activities, including vertical seismic profiling (VSP), well testing, and well abandonment, will be conducted in License Block 2914A.
Operations are set to begin in late 2024, marking a major milestone in Namibia’s burgeoning energy sector.
