Overview
- Shell, QatarEnergy and NAMCOR reported that the Merlin-1X exploration well in PEL 0039 encountered light oil with good reservoir quality and limited associated gas, which partners described as the most promising subsurface result yet in the licence.
- Merlin-1X was drilled as the tenth well in PEL 0039 using the Deepsea Mira rig managed by Odfjell, and operators emphasized the finding advances their understanding of the Orange Basin play.
- The partners have not released resource or volume estimates and said they will carry out a disciplined, data-led evaluation before deciding on development steps.
- Further appraisal and possible additional drilling later in 2026 are under consideration as the consortium tests commerciality and models project economics against market and fiscal conditions in Namibia.
- The result adds to a string of recent discoveries that have shifted the Orange Basin from a frontier prospect to a high-priority exploration province and strengthens QatarEnergy’s growing acreage position in Namibian waters.