07:52 AM EDT, 10/03/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Reconnaissance Energy Africa ( RECAF ) reported Thursday an operations update for petroleum exploration licence 073 onshore Namibia.

The company said that while it continues to make progress on drilling the Naingopo exploration well, it encountered slower drilling rates in the deeper section of the Mulden formation and experienced tight hole conditions while setting casing, causing delays to its original schedule.

ReconAfrica said it is now switching out the blowout preventer to 10,000 psi ahead of drilling deeper intervals. The company plans to commence drilling in the coming days and expects to soon penetrate the primary objective of the Damara Fold Belt play, the Otavi carbonate reservoir.

"We plan to be drilling through October before reaching total depth and will disclose well results after thorough analysis of the logs and any obtained fluids," President and CEO Brian Reinsborough said.

Meanwhile, Gitane De Silva will join the company on Oct. 21 as its new senior vice president for ESG, communications and stakeholder relations.