Pancontinental advances Orange Basin work
Pancontinental Energy has launched a feasibility study to identify the most effective way to improve the quality of seismic data collected over its offshore Namibian licence as it prepares for the next stage of exploration in the Orange Basin.
The Australian Securities Exchange-listed company said in its June 2026 quarterly report that it has begun assessing different methods of processing the existing three-dimensional seismic dataset covering Petroleum Exploration Licence (PEL) 87.
The work forms part of the commitments attached to the Namibian government's decision to extend the licence until 22 January 2027.
Seismic surveys use sound waves to create images of rock formations beneath the seabed.
The clearer those images are, the easier it is for geologists to identify potential oil and gas reservoirs and determine where exploration wells should be drilled.
Pancontinental said it is comparing a range of processing techniques to determine which method produces the clearest images of the subsurface geology.
The company has invited specialist geophysical contractors to process a small section of the existing seismic dataset using different techniques before selecting the most suitable approach for the full dataset.
The study is intended to maximise the value of data that has already been acquired, rather than undertake a new seismic survey.
Advances in seismic processing technology can reveal geological features that may not have been visible when the data was originally processed, helping companies reduce exploration risk and improve drill target selection.
The work comes as exploration success across the Orange Basin continues to strengthen confidence in the region. Recent discoveries and appraisal results by neighbouring operators, including Shell's Merlin-1X well and Rhino Resources and Azule Energy's Capricornus-1A, together with planned drilling campaigns by Galp Energia, Chevron and TotalEnergies, continue to reinforce the basin's reputation as one of the world's leading frontier oil provinces.
Pancontinental is also continuing discussions with several companies interested in farming into PEL 87, although it has not identified the prospective partners because the negotiations remain confidential.
Once a farm-in partner has been secured, the company intends to proceed with plans to drill the licence's first exploration well.
