Namibia Southwest African Coastal exploration basin

Namibia's Southwest African Coastal basin is situated offshore Namibia, extending south into offshore northwestern South Africa. Conceptually, the basin is considered to have geological similarities with the deepwater Cretaceous basins of Brazil. However, it is not a pre-salt play; only the northernmost blocks bordering Angola are believed to have a salt layer. In February 2022, frontier exploration finally paid off with two giant Cretaceous light oil discoveries offshore Namibia. The ultra-deepwater discoveries are game changing for the country. First, Shell discovered Graff, followed a few weeks later by TotalEnergies' Venus find. Graff is Namibia's first ever oil discovery and Venus may well be Sub-Saharan Africa's largest ever oil find. These were among the most anticipated frontier wells globally. Both majors have the capability to develop commercial discoveries, and the results are anticipated to encourage further drilling in the basin.