Geographical Magazine
ReconAfrica's plan to drill for oil in the Okavango draws the ire of environmentalists
Written by
Jacob Dykes
09 Jun
2021
One company’s plan to drill for oil in the Okavango Delta is raising the ire of environmentalists. As we find out, the promises of community uplift through oil extraction is not always a pathway to prosperity
In 2015, Canadian-based oil and gas exploration company ReconAfrica acquired the rights to explore about 8.5 million acres of the Kavango Basin in northeastern Namibia – one of the world’s great wilderness areas. Safe to say, this hasn’t gone down well with environmental groups. So far, however, their voices have gone largely unheeded. In January 2021, the company began to drill the first of two exploratory test wells, which will eventually be used to establish the region’s potential for oil production. The company has dubbed Africa the 'final frontier' for oil exploration.