WINDHOEK, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Namibia's petroleum industry demonstrated its commitment to advancing energy ambitions by hosting a two-day International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) Conference and Exhibition Tuesday in the country's capital city, Windhoek.
The IADC operates on six continents and serves as a platform for all stakeholders in the oil and gas drilling industry to collaborate, share knowledge, and address common challenges.
Maggy Shino, petroleum commissioner at Namibia's Ministry of Mines and Energy, emphasized the importance of upholding standards and creating an environment conducive to investment and innovation.
"Currently, there are four drilling rigs offshore Namibia in our prolific Orange Basin conducting both exploration and appraisal drilling campaigns operated by Shell, Total and Galp," she said, adding that, based on data analysis, the prospective and untapped potential of the Namibian basin is huge, exceeding initial expectations.
According to Shino, with multiple drilling rigs active offshore and significant discoveries anticipated, Namibia aims to drive investments and infrastructure development to propel the industry forward.
"Our expectations toward the end of the year are to continue with appraisal drilling with multiple wells campaigns," she added.
Shino further noted that they are expecting appraisal reports to be coming in from April this year and as soon as the results are finalized, they will communicate the volumes and commence preparations for the next phase of the industry.
Shino encouraged participants to engage in fruitful discussions and partnerships that would benefit both Namibia and their respective organizations. ■