WINDHOEK, Aug 15 (Reuters) - The Namibian Ports

Authority (Namport) cancelled a pre-qualification tender for a

new oil and gas supply base at Luderitz just days after

launching it and without explanation, its Facebook page showed

on Friday.

The sudden cancellation is a blow to government efforts to

accelerate development at Luderitz port, the smaller one of only

two commercial ports in the Southern African country and an

important energy service centre.

An exploration hotspot following a string of offshore

discoveries by Shell, TotalEnergies, Galp

and Rhino Resources, Namibia has ambitions to deliver

first oil by 2030 with Luderitz being designated as the

country's energy hub.

However, regulatory uncertainty, a lack of key

infrastructure and an unskilled labour force for the oil and gas

sector have worried investors and operators.

Namport launched a pre-qualification tender on Tuesday for a

concession to design, build, own, operate and transfer (DBOOT) a

new Luderitz Bay oil and gas supply base to support drilling

campaigns in the Orange Basin.

"Namport regrets to inform interested parties that the DBOOT

concession bid for the Luderitz Bay oil and gas supply base has

been cancelled," said Namport's official Facebook page.

Namport CEO Andrew Kanime did not answer calls to his phone

or respond to messages seeking clarity.

Luderitz port, located to the far south of the vast, arid

country, has separate plans to extend its quay wall by at least

300 metres in a bid to accommodate more platform support vessels

that service the burgeoning offshore oil and gas sector.

Kanime previously told Reuters that TotalEnergies'

operations are supported from Luderitz port, while Shell and

Galp are backed by Walvis Bay to the north of the country.

Berthing capacity at the physically constrained port, where

fishing and mining cargoes vie for space, was already close to

full capacity, he said last year.