Niël Terblanché
The National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor) has embarked on a two-year capacity-building partnership with Portuguese oil giant, GALP Energia, with a vision to enhance the skills and competencies of future employees in both the downstream and upstream sectors of the petroleum industry.
This groundbreaking agreement will facilitate the exchange of knowledge and technical expertise between the two entities, paving the way for significant advancements in Namibia’s burgeoning petroleum sector.
Under the umbrella of the agreement, Namcor and GALP officials will collaboratively identify key areas of focus.
For the upstream sector, their attention will be drawn to cutting-edge technologies, including geoscience, area reservoir modelling and simulation, and deep offshore technologies. Meanwhile, the downstream sector will delve into international crude oil trade, natural gas, logistics, renewable energies, and health and safety.
Utaara Hoveka, the spokesperson for Namcor, expressed optimism about the substantial benefits that this partnership will bring to both Namcor and the nation as a whole.
As Namcor ventures into the uncharted territory of petroleum production, this cooperation promises to bolster the company’s capabilities significantly.
Hoveka elaborated on the specifics of the agreement by saying that under the upstream focus area, officials will identify technologies, inclusive of geoscience, area reservoir modelling and simulation, and deep offshore technologies, while international crude oil trade, natural gas, and downstream logistics form central themes in the downstream focus area.
The memorandum of understanding was signed during the official opening of Galp Namibia’s offices in Windhoek. One of the primary objectives of this collaborative effort is to nurture a pool of highly skilled oil and gas experts within Namibia.
These skills and competencies are set to significantly enhance the country’s capacity to capitalize on the opportunities arising from recent oil discoveries.
“The agreement will greatly benefit Namcor and the country at large in securing high-level experts across the oil and gas value chain as it ventures into the uncharted territory of petroleum production. Technical and commercial officials will be exposed to training opportunities that sharpen their skills, enabling them to exploit and manage the country’s energy resources most efficiently.” Hoveka said while stressing the importance of the agreement.
This partnership comes on the heels of the recent and notable oil discovery in the Mopane-1X exploration well in PEL83, offshore Namibia. Galp Energy operates this well in a consortium with Namcor and Custos Energy, with Galp holding an 80 percent stake, while Namcor and Custos each hold a 10 percent stake.
The Minister of Mines and Energy, Tom Alwendo, congratulated the joint venture for the significant discovery and said that the achievement was a testament to Namibia’s ability to attract top-tier partners willing to make world-scale investments in the country’s petroleum sector. He also voiced optimism for continued success in this regard.
As part of the capacity-building agreement, Galp has committed to providing Namcor with technical advice and related services as identified in future cooperation plans.
Additionally, both parties have expressed their intention to collaborate on energy projects in Namibia and potentially in other locations.
Renewable energies, as well as health and safety, are integral focus areas of this impactful cooperation, reflecting a broader commitment to sustainability and responsible development in Namibia’s fledgling petroleum industry.
