Portugal’s Galp Energia has reported positive indications of hydrocarbons from an exploration well targeting a 10 billion-barrel prospect in Namibia’s exciting Orange basin, although it is far too early to say if it has a discovery on its hands.

The Lisbon-based operator began drilling its Mopane-1X probe on 17 November in Petroleum Exploration Licence 93 as part of a two-well exploration campaign to prove that the oil and gas rich play discovered by Shell and TotalEnergies in 2022 extends farther north.