QatarEnergy has announced a new oil discovery from the Merlin-1X exploration well, located offshore Namibia within Petroleum Exploration Licence 39 (PEL 0039). This tenth well drilled under the licence produced the most encouraging subsurface results to date, identifying a reservoir with good quality, light oil, and limited associated gas.

HE Saad Sherida al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs and CEO of QatarEnergy, described the find as a significant development that follows three previous discoveries in Namibia. He noted that the results bolster confidence in the Orange Basin as an emerging hydrocarbon province with global potential. Al-Kaabi also emphasized that the discovery aligns with QatarEnergy’s broader strategy to expand its upstream portfolio internationally through high-impact exploration efforts.

QatarEnergy holds interests in four offshore exploration licences in Namibia, including PEL 0039 where the discovery was made, with a 45 percent stake. The other licences are PEL 0056 (35.25 percent), PEL 0091 (33.03 percent), and PEL 0090 (27.5 percent). Together, these licences cover an area of approximately 34,000 square kilometers.

The company expressed its appreciation to the Government of the Republic of Namibia for its ongoing support throughout the exploration process. It also acknowledged its partners in the project, Shell and the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia, congratulating them on the achievement.

The discovery at Merlin-1X represents a promising step for Namibia’s hydrocarbon potential in the offshore Orange Basin, which is increasingly attracting international oil and gas investment. While the initial results are encouraging with light oil and favorable reservoir characteristics, further appraisal and development will be needed to confirm the full commercial viability of the field.