Oil and gas company Reconnaissance Energy Africa (ReconAfrica) has announced plans to deploy a technical team to Angola’s Damara Fold Belt to conduct surface sampling in areas of potential oil seeps, marking the company’s first on-the -ground activity in the country.
The announcement was made by Brian Reinsborough, Chief Executive Officer, ReconAfrica during a technical session, Best Practice Strategies for Successful Exploration in the Okavango Basin – sponsored by ReconAfrica – at this year’s Angola Oil & Gas 2025 conference and exhibition.
“These structures are quite large, up to 25km long and 5km wide,” stated Reinsborough, adding, “Our company has really focused on this fold belt, largely because of the size of the prize.”
The program follows ReconAfrica’s April 2025 MoU with Angola’s national concessionaire the National Oil, Gas & Biofuels Agency and national oil company Sonangol. The company holds an 80% operating interest in the 5.2-million-acre onshore license, with Sonangol retaining the remaining 20%.
The licensed acreage lies within the Etosha-Okavango basin and forms part of the Damara Fold Belt, which extends into Namibia and Botswana. ReconAfrica’s internal models indicate that the hydrocarbon potential demonstrated in Namibia continues across the border into Angola. Initial studies in Angola include geological and geochemical analysis, a regional sweep survey and preparations for a 2D seismic campaign.
ReconAfrica is currently drilling the Kavango West 1X well in Namibia, located approximately 40km from the Angola border, where earlier exploration confirmed reservoir rocks and hydrocarbon indicators within fold structures.
By combining early-stage surface studies in Angola with ongoing drilling in Namibia, ReconAfrica and Sonangol aim to build a regional understanding of the Damara Fold Belt’s resource potential.