QatarEnergy Strikes Promising Oil Discovery in Namibia’s Orange Basin

QatarEnergy has reported a significant oil discovery offshore Namibia following the successful drilling of the Merlin-1X exploration well in Petroleum Exploration Licence 39 (PEL 0039), reinforcing growing industry confidence in the Orange Basin’s hydrocarbon potential.

The Merlin-1X well, the tenth drilled under the licence, has delivered the most encouraging subsurface results recorded within the block to date. According to the company, the well encountered light crude oil in reservoirs exhibiting favourable quality, while associated gas volumes were reported to be relatively limited — a combination viewed positively from a commercial development perspective.

The discovery marks another milestone in Namibia’s rapidly evolving upstream sector, which has attracted increasing attention from international energy companies following a series of high-profile finds in the Orange Basin over the past several years.

Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs and President and Chief Executive Officer of QatarEnergy, said the results further validate the basin’s status as one of the world’s most promising frontier exploration regions.

“The Merlin-1X discovery strengthens confidence in the Orange Basin as an emerging world-class petroleum province,” Al-Kaabi noted. “It also supports QatarEnergy’s strategy of expanding its international upstream portfolio through targeted, high-impact exploration opportunities.”
The company highlighted the discovery as its latest success in Namibia, following three previously announced finds in the country. QatarEnergy also acknowledged the support of the Namibian government and praised its partners in the licence for their contribution to the exploration campaign.

QatarEnergy currently maintains a substantial offshore presence in Namibia through interests in four exploration licences. These include a 45% stake in PEL 0039, alongside holdings in PEL 0056, PEL 0091 and PEL 0090. Collectively, the licences cover approximately 34,000 square kilometres across Namibia’s offshore acreage.

The latest discovery is expected to add momentum to exploration activity in the Orange Basin, which has emerged as one of the most closely watched frontier regions globally. Industry observers view continued drilling success in the basin as a potential catalyst for large-scale upstream investment and future production developments that could reshape Namibia’s role in the international energy landscape.

For QatarEnergy, the find underscores the strategic value of its expanding global exploration portfolio as the company continues to pursue resource growth beyond its core operations in Qatar.