Okavango River Basin Water Commission (OKACOM) and stakeholders have allayed fears from some environmentalists, community members and activists that the exploration of oil in Angola and Namibia by Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd (ReconAfrica) poses a threat on the Okavango River System.
The Australia Company holds a petroleum license covering the Okavango River Basin in Namibia, Angola and Botswana. It has already signed oil exploration deals with the governments of Namibia and Angola. ReconAfrica’s projects are reported to be falling under efforts to better understand and unlock the oil and gas potential for the Southern Africa Region.
Earlier this year, the company had announced an agreement for a joint exploration project (new oil and gas exploration) in Angola with the Angola Petroleum Agency or National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANPG). The company revealed that it has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with ANPG for a joint exploration project in the Etosha-Okavango basin, located onshore in southeastern Angola.
In January this year, ReconAfrica also announced that it has closed upsized C$19M offering to fund drilling at Kavango West 1X Well in Namibia. It was also stated that the project will include the construction of the access road and drill site was already underway, and rig mobilisation was scheduled for late June, with drilling to commence shortly thereafter upon receipt of final permits.
The company has indicated that Kavango West 1X well will be the second exploration test targeting the vast Damara Fold Belt system, a frontier basin play that spans a structurally complex region identified through modern 2D seismic data.
Over the years, the ReconAfrica’s mining activities have generated significant controversy due to concerns about potential environmental impacts on the sensitive Okavango Delta ecosystem and its proximity to World Heritage sites.
Despite all these fears, OKACOM stakeholders (Botswana, Namibia and Angola) have allayed these fears during the Member States Council of Ministers meeting that was held in Maun last week.
They have noted that before any project can be carried out, as Members States they do proper consultations and feasibility studies in order to help determine if a project is worth pursuing by evaluating its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Botswana’s Minister of Water and Human Settlement Onneetse Ramogapi noted that before any extraction commences, as OKACOM member states they always ensure that a feasibility study is carried out to determine the project’s environmental impacts.
He noted that there is no how any of the member states can mine on the system as that would negatively affect the ecosystem, indicating that proper consultations are conducted before any project can be implemented.
Namibia’s Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations Deputy Executive Director, Dr John Shimaneni has revealed that the discussions are still on-going surrounding the oil exploration project in Namibia, indicating that they still need some data before the project can be implemented.
He however indicated that there is a very good prospective on the oil project, adding that it is done onshore which means that the extraction will be done from the ground not under the river.
Dr Shimaneni also stated that they are still looking at the project’s environmental stability, and also doing an assessment on the environmental rehabilitation in order to ensure the land is restored after the extraction. He also noted that they have to ensure that the communities also gain from the discovery.
National Geographic Explorer and founder of the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project, Steve Boyes said that they are keeping a close eye on the developments and potential impacts of ReconAfrica’s activities throughout the Basin. He noted that the current events only underscore the importance of NGOWP’s presence, and continued work in scientific research and community-led conservation.
“We are committed to the long-term preservation of the Okavango River Basin for the benefit of people and wildlife that live in and around the Basin. We are continuing our project work as planned. The health of the Okavango River Basin is critical to the resilience and health of the region. All activities in the basin must be ethical and sustainable if we are to maintain the current ecological balance,” said Boyes.
