ReconAfrica Plans Production Testing on Kavango Basin Onshore Licence in Q1 2026
Reconnaissance Energy Africa (ReconAfrica) plans to begin production testing in the first quarter of 2026 on Petroleum Exploration Licence (PEL) 73, an onshore asset located in Namibia’s Kavango Basin.
The company said it has entered an evaluation phase that has been in preparation for several weeks, following the identification of hydrocarbon indicators at the Kavango West-1X well on the licence.
ReconAfrica has not declared a commercial discovery on PEL 73. The planned testing program is intended to determine whether the geological formations encountered are capable of delivering measurable production volumes, a prerequisite for advancing the exploration program.
Drilling at the Kavango West-1X well intersected multiple geological intervals with potential hydrocarbon presence. Based on these results, the company is considering production tests on up to eight separate horizons to assess their productive capacity.
Such testing is a standard step in frontier and early-stage basins such as the Kavango Basin, where subsurface data are limited and well testing is essential to improving geological understanding.
The identification of multiple hydrocarbon indicators within a single well supports the decision to proceed with testing, although it does not imply commercial viability.
While offshore exploration activity continues to dominate Namibia’s energy sector, interest is also increasing in onshore prospects, which present distinct technical, regulatory, and environmental considerations.
The outcome of the production tests will inform the next phase of activity on PEL 73. Positive results could support additional appraisal drilling, while weaker results may prompt a reassessment of the exploration strategy for the licence.
