Reviving the Cretaceous Deep Water Clastics Plays of Southern Namibia

The Orange Basin, offshore South Africa and Namibia forms a major Cretaceous depocenter that has only been significantly explored on the shelf with exploration currently shifting to deep water blocks. Shell is currently evaluating PEL39, a Namibian deep water block located outboard of the Orange River. This study focuses on the facies indicating the interplay of gravity and contour currents, their methods of interaction, and their potential implication for reservoir development based on the newly acquired 3D seismic. Some turbidite reservoir levels show development of large-scale sediment waves. These wave fields are the most prominent seismic features hinting at contouritic influence and can span 10’s of kilometres and have thicknesses of 100’s of metres, with individual crests spaced several kilometres apart. They indicate a synchronous interaction between gravity and contourite currents and highlight similarities to the sedimentology of the Coral Field in the Rovuma Basin. At present, Shell and JV partners Kosmos and NAMCOR are evaluating the clastic play fairway on two newly acquired seismic surveys (∼7500 km2) in preparation for an exploration drilling campaign in the upcoming years.