Sintana Energy Inc (TSX-V:SEI, OTCQB:SEUSF) announced that its joint venture partners have successfully drilled and logged the Mopane-3X well in Namibia’s Orange Basin, confirming significant oil and gas-condensate columns in high-quality sandstones.
The well, which spud at the beginning of 2025, targeted two stacked prospects, AVO-10 and AVO-13, along with a deeper sand, in the southeast region of the Mopane complex.
Preliminary data indicates the presence of light oil across all three targets, with reservoir logs confirming good porosities, high pressures, and high permeabilities, the company said.
“These additional discoveries in an entirely new section further demonstrate the scale and quality of the Mopane complex,” said Robert Bose, CEO of Sintana.
The Mopane-3X well is the latest in a series of exploration efforts at Petroleum Exploration License 83 (PEL 83), which is operated by a subsidiary of Portugal’s Galp Energia. Sintana holds an indirect 49% interest in Custos Energy, which owns a 10% working interest in the block, alongside Namibia’s state-owned oil company NAMCOR.
Higher-than-expected pressures at Mopane-3X open up further exploration and appraisal opportunities, Sintana said, adding that initial fluid samples showed low oil viscosity and minimal CO2 and H2S concentrations.
“Our exposure to this world class asset together with the balance of our portfolio give us an unmatched position in the heart of Namibia’s Orange Basin,” Bose added.
The company said a proprietary 3D seismic survey is on track for completion in the first quarter of 2025, with processing to follow.
“The stacked discoveries in this most recent exploration program at Mopane are emblematic of the size and potential of the complex,” said Knowledge Katti, CEO of Custos and a director of Sintana.
The Orange Basin has become a hotspot for oil exploration following several high-profile discoveries in recent years.