Shell is moving ahead with preparations for a new offshore drilling campaign in Namibia’s Orange Basin, reinforcing its long-term interest in one of Africa’s most closely watched exploration frontiers. The company is targeting April 2026 for the start of operations in Petroleum Exploration Licence PEL 39, according to Reuters.
Shell’s Namibia country chair, Eduardo Rodriguez, confirmed that the Deepsea Mira semi-submersible rig has been contracted for the programme. The rig, owned by Northern Ocean Ltd and managed by Odfjell Drilling, will undertake the first well with the possibility of additional drilling as the campaign progresses, as highlighted by Mining & Energy Namibia.
The renewed activity follows a four hundred million dollar write down earlier in 2025 after some discoveries in the licence were assessed as not yet commercially viable. Industry analysts noted that despite the setback, Shell’s decision to return to the basin reflects its confidence in the region’s longer term potential. This view was reiterated in technical commentary published by The Extractor Magazine.
Namibia has not yet recorded commercial oil production, but authorities have stated that the first output is expected before the end of the decade as interest from global players continues to rise. According to Namibia’s mining and energy publications, Shell’s campaign forms part of a wider wave of exploration activity by international majors seeking to unlock the basin’s deepwater prospects.
