TotalEnergies’ huge exploration success at Venus came hard on the heels of Shell’s significant oil discovery at Graff, both opening up the frontier Orange basin which straddles the maritime boundary between Namibia and South Africa.

Shell is already drilling ahead on a Graff appraisal well in Block 2913A, while TotalEnergies is expected to spud a delineation well shortly at Venus in Block 2913B.