A Canadian firm has commenced drilling activities on what is believed to be a massive onshore oil find in Namibia’s Kalahari Desert, APA learnt here on Wednesday.
ReconAfrica founder Craig Steinke said the Vancouver-based firm is drilling a series of stratigraphic test wells to prove there’s an active petroleum system in the area that stretches from northeast Namibia to northwest Botswana.
“We do envision this as a potentially very large resource that will help industrialize the country,” Steinke said.
The firm said initial data points to the existence of upwards of 100 billion barrels of oil and gas in the area, which compares favourably with proven oil reserves of other major global players.
The find is, however, expected to cause an outcry among environmental and cultural organisations as the targeted area is home to two United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization world heritage sites and three national parks.
These include the Okavango Delta and Tsodilo Hills, both UNESCO world heritage sites.
JN/APA