Namibia’s offshore oil and gas sector is rapidly transitioning from a frontier exploration success story into a full-scale industrial development phase, with the Orange Basin emerging as one of the world’s most promising deepwater plays. As the country advances toward first oil before 2030, the focus has shifted decisively toward infrastructure readiness, regulatory clarity and development of local capacity required to support complex offshore operations at scale.
Upstream activity continues to gain momentum, led by a series of multi-billion-barrel discoveries by TotalEnergies, Shell and Galp. As the voice of the African energy sector, the African Energy Chamber (AEC) supports Namibia’s shift toward execution.
“Timely project development, enabling infrastructure and strong institutional frameworks will be critical to sustaining investor confidence and delivering first oil on schedule,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the AEC.
Mosiziwe Nokwe-Macamo, Member of the AEC Advisory Board, echoed these remarks during the Namibia International Energy Conference (NIEC) in Windhoek this week, highlighting that, “One needs to understand what limitations exist between the public and private sectors. It’s very difficult for one or the other to go into it alone. There are certain major infrastructure investments that have to be made, but from a fiscal point of view, most governments are not able to simultaneously deal with the huge infrastructure challenges that we have.”
The Venus project remains the most advanced, with a final investment decision expected in 2026 and first oil targeted by 2029 through a FPSO vessel with an estimated capacity of 150,000 barrels per day. Galp’s Mopane discovery, which could hold up to 10 billion barrels of oil equivalent, is progressing through an accelerated appraisal campaign, while Shell continues to delineate its Graff and Jonker discoveries amid technical complexities. The sector has also attracted new capital, with bp entering Namibia in April 2026 through the acquisition of a 60% operating stake in offshore blocks in the Walvis Basin.
Supporting this upstream pipeline is a coordinated national effort to scale infrastructure. Discussions at NIEC – where the AEC is a Strategic Partner – underscored the central role of ports, logistics and marine services in enabling offshore development at scale. Richard Mutonga Ibwina, Executive-Port Operations at Namibia’s state-owned Namport emphasized the authority’s role as a central enabler of offshore energy logistics, as upgrades at Walvis Bay and Lüderitz accelerate. The N$4 billion expansion of the Port of Lüderitz – including a 500-m quay wall extension and 14 hectares of reclaimed land – is expected to begin delivering capacity by 2027, while Walvis Bay continues to expand through private sector investment.
This infrastructure push is being driven by strong public-private coordination. Benjamin Stenning, Managing Director of Africa Global Logistics in Namibia, highlighted ongoing collaboration with Namport, including investment of nearly N$800 million into terminal capacity and joint efforts to develop training facilities aimed at closing logistics and marine skills gaps.
Namibia is also positioning itself as a regional hub for FPSO services, but financing and timing remain key considerations. Stig Bøtker, Director of Business Development at service company Altera Infrastructure Production, pointed to the challenge of developing large-scale infrastructure ahead of revenue flows, reinforcing the need for careful alignment between capital deployment and project timelines. As such, local companies are stepping in early to capture value. Ralph Ruiters, Managing Director of logistics services company Manica Group Namibia reflected growing private sector confidence, with firms mobilizing capital and securing contracts to deliver integrated logistics, customs clearing and offshore support services.
International technology providers are also playing a critical role, with Christophe Dieumegard of oil industry company TechnipFMC underscoring the importance of integrated subsea solutions, early project engagement and disciplined execution to accelerate time to first oil while reducing risk across complex offshore developments. Capacity building remains central to this approach, with TechnipFMC aligning skills development with project timelines through structured programs, including its Subsea Engineering course with the Namibia University of Science and Technology.
Policy support is advancing in parallel. The National Upstream Local Content Policy targets 15% local participation by 2030, while institutions such as Petrofund and the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board are facilitating skills development and supplier integration. Regulatory reforms, including the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Amendment Bill, aim to strengthen investor confidence, while plans for a new refinery near Walvis Bay signal ambitions to expand downstream value addition.
Namibia’s success will ultimately depend on execution – aligning upstream investment with infrastructure rollout and local capability. For investors, the opportunity lies not just in resource potential, but in a rapidly developing ecosystem built for long-term, scalable growth.
