Shell has made a new oil discovery at the Merlin-1X exploration well on PEL 39 in Namibia’s Orange Basin.
The well was spudded on 8 April 2026 and successfully penetrated the Coniacian play. According to Shell, Merlin-1X delivered the strongest subsurface results so far on PEL 0039, with good reservoir quality, light oil and limited associated gas.
The results support Shell’s continued evaluation of the resource and its commercial potential across the license. The company is considering further drilling later in 2026 as part of a broader exploratory appraisal program.
Merlin-1X was drilled by the semi-submersible Deepsea Mira, which is rated for 3,048 m water depth. The rig is managed by Odfjell Drilling and owned by Northern Ocean, which recently indicated that the unit would complete work for Shell around the second half of June.
Eugene Okpere, Shell’s Executive Vice President for Exploration, Strategy and Portfolio, said the results were encouraging and added to the company’s understanding of the Orange Basin. He said Shell is assessing commerciality through a disciplined, data-led process and focusing investment on material, competitive and resilient options within its portfolio.
Shell operates the license in Namibia’s Orange Basin, with QatarEnergy and NAMCOR as partners.
Previous wells drilled on PEL 39 include Graff-1X, La Rona-1X, Jonker-1X, Graff-1A, Lesedi-1X, Cullinan-1X, Jonker-1A, Jonker-2A and Enigma-1X.
