Drill and Dream: Shell Prepares for New Exploration Off Namibia’s Coast

In the wide expanse of the South Atlantic, where the waters off Namibia’s coast meet the shifting ambitions of global energy firms, a new chapter in offshore exploration is taking shape. For years, Namibia has stood at the threshold of a potential oil boom — its deepwater Orange Basin drawing explorers like Shell, TotalEnergies, and others eager to unlock subsurface resources that could transform the nation’s energy landscape. Now, after a period of reassessment and technical setbacks, Shell is preparing once again to take the drill bit to sea.

On Thursday, Shell announced preparations to launch a fresh drilling campaign offshore Namibia, with operations expected to begin in April 2026. The work will take place in the Petroleum Exploration License (PEL) 39 block, a deepwater area of the Orange Basin where Shell and partners have previously made several discoveries.

Shell and its partners — QatarEnergy and Namcor, Namibia’s national oil company — have contracted the Deepsea Mira drilling rig, managed by Odfjell Drilling and owned by Northern Ocean, to carry out the exploration work. The initial contract covers at least one firm well, with options for additional wells depending on results and prospects.

The renewed drilling follows a difficult period for Shell’s Namibian operations. Earlier in 2025, the company wrote down roughly $400 million on its PEL 39 holdings after determining that certain discoveries there were not commercially viable under current conditions. Despite that setback, Shell and its partners have signaled their continued commitment to exploring the basin’s potential, seeking additional data and opportunities before any final investment decisions on a production development.

Namibia itself has yet to produce oil commercially, but the country aims for first oil by around 2030, buoyed by discoveries at Graff and other prospects that have attracted international attention and investment to the Orange Basin. Shell’s return to drilling underscores both the technical challenges of deepwater exploration in the region and the persistent interest in its large subsurface resources.

As preparations continue through late 2025, observers will be watching closely how Shell’s campaign unfolds and whether it can help turn the promise of offshore resources into real economic and energy outcomes for Namibia and its partners.

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Sources

• Reuters

• MarketScreener

• The Namibian (local report on Shell well plans)

• Odfjell Drilling contract details

• S&P Global Energy background analysis