ReconAfrica starts horizontal sidetrack at Kavango West 1X in Namibia

ReconAfrica began drilling a horizontal sidetrack at its Kavango West 1X (KW1X) well in Namibia after receiving the final regulatory approvals. Production casing was removed to a vertical depth of 2,289 m, where an open-hole whipstock was set before the sidetrack was started. Drilling is scheduled to take about one month.

The well design targets a horizontal wellbore of up to 1,000 m in the upper Huttenberg formation, aimed at intersecting natural fractures across the Kavango structure. The well will be completed open hole, without casing or cement, to maximize flow rates from the fracture system. BW Energy holds a 20% working interest in the project and the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR) holds a 10% carried interest.

Flow testing will begin immediately after completion, once the wellbore has been swabbed to remove drilling muds and cuttings and before any acid wash. The test is intended to establish sustained flow rates, reservoir pressure response and the liquid yield and composition of the production stream. Fluid and gas samples will be collected for laboratory analysis. Testing could take up to one month, and ReconAfrica expects to disclose results before year-end.