Reconnaissance Energy Africa ('ReconAfrica'), along with its partners BW Energy (20% WI) and the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia ('NAMCOR', 10% carried WI), has announced the preliminary production testing results from the three lowest zones in the Elandshoek formation on the Kavango West 1X discovery well, which began testing operations on June 8, 2026.
ReconAfrica has completed production testing the lowest three zones located in the Elandshoek formation. Testing in the uppermost zone in the Elandshoek successfully produced natural gas to surface on three separate flow tests. Production samples have been collected for lab analysis with the rest of the produced hydrocarbons flared at surface. The results of the compositional analysis are expected in the coming weeks from samples to be sent to laboratories in the United States.
Testing equipment is currently being moved up hole to continue production testing the three identified zones in the shallower Huttenberg formation. The three Huttenberg zones will test 182 metres of reservoir section, including 76 net metres of hydrocarbon pay identified on well log tests. It is estimated that testing may take up to approximately 10 days per zone and therefore management estimates providing the next production test update by approximately late August.
Brian Reinsborough, President and CEO, commented: 'We are very excited to have produced hydrocarbons to surface on the Kavango West production test, which are the first hydrocarbons ever produced to surface onshore Namibia. Knowing that the Elandshoek formation had naturally fractured carbonate rocks, we are pleased to learn that those fractures support production. Our operations team is working on a possible open hole horizontal or deviated sidetrack from this wellbore to intersect a larger reservoir interval and the natural fracture network across the structure. Based on global analogue reservoirs, we believe a significant uplift in productivity rates could be realized by this operation. Our operational team is now focused on production testing the significant net hydrocarbon column in the Huttenburg formation.'
Production Test Highlights:
- The entire Otavi section (1,657 metres), inclusive of the Huttenberg and Elandshoek formations, were cased and cemented with production casing. This wellbore configuration allows the Company to individually test the six optimized zones, which were identified by well log analysis. Although the production casing configuration is necessary for this first stage of production testing, production casings can restrict optimal access to natural reservoir factures. After proving the natural flow of hydrocarbons encountered from this zone, the next step following the completion of the remaining perforated zone tests would be to potentially drill a horizontal or deviated (i.e. slanted) sidetrack extension through the upper Elandshoek formation to better encounter the natural fractures across the Kavango structure to obtain higher flow rates. By analogue to similarly naturally fractured carbonate reservoirs globally, data shows significant production rate uplift from horizontal, or deviated, wells compared against vertical wells. Management believes the Huttenberg formation, where pay has been calculated from well log analysis, has substantial matrix porosity which should be able to produce with the current wellbore configuration.
- Three separate zones across a total of 163 metres of the Elandshoek formation were perforated, acid soaked and production tested. The upper most zone of the Elandshoek formation flowed hydrocarbons to surface for sample collection and flaring.
- The uppermost zone of the Elandshoek formation (47 metres) was production tested and flared on three separate occasions. The well was open for flow for a total of approximately 24 hours during which natural gas and liquids were produced at intermittent levels. However, due to equipment limitations it was not possible to collect accurate measurements of flow test rates. Tubing pressures increased between each of the production tests, increasing to a measured 2,300 psi through the 5-inch production casing prior to the second flow test, which indicates hydrocarbon deliverability.
- ReconAfrica recovered several IsoTubes from approximately eight litres of hydrocarbon samples collected at surface, which will be sent to the United States for compositional analysis. All other production of hydrocarbons was flared at surface. The laboratory tests of the collected samples will provide a compositional analysis to discern between the presence of natural gas and any associated natural gas liquids from the reservoir from possible load fluid recovery.
About ReconAfrica
ReconAfrica is a Canadian oil and gas company engaged in the exploration of the Damara Fold Belt and Kavango Rift Basin in the Kalahari Desert of northeastern Namibia, southeastern Angola and northwestern Botswana, where the Company holds petroleum licences and access to ~13 million contiguous acres. The Company also operates the Ngulu block in the shallow waters offshore central Gabon. In all aspects of its operations, ReconAfrica is committed to minimal disturbance of habitat in line with international standards and implementing environmental and social best practices in its project areas.
Source: ReconAfrica
