Shell, partners announce oil discovery at Merlin-1X offshore Namibia

Shell and its partners QatarEnergy and NAMCOR announced an oil discovery at the Merlin-1X exploration well in Petroleum Exploration License 39 (PEL 39), offshore Namibia.

Merlin-1X, which spud on 8 April 2026, is the tenth well drilled under the license and penetrated the Coniacian play. The well encountered good reservoir quality with light oil and limited associated gas, results the partners described as the most promising subsurface outcomes recorded in the license to date. Shell is the operator of PEL 39.

Shell said further drilling in PEL 39 is being considered later in 2026 as part of a wider exploratory appraisal campaign.

QatarEnergy holds a 45% interest in PEL 39 alongside Shell (45%) and NAMCOR (10%).