HARARE, May 11 (NewsDay Live) — Australian-listed energy firm Invictus Energy is preparing to drill the Musuma-1 exploration well in the Cabora Bassa Basin in the second half of 2026 as it expands exploration activities beyond its Mukuyu gas-condensate discovery.
Musuma-1 will be the company’s first high-impact exploration well outside the Mukuyu discovery area and is targeting an estimated 1.2 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of gas and 73 million barrels of condensate on a gross mean unrisked basis.
The prospect, located on the eastern margin of the basin, will be drilled as a vertical well to a planned depth of about 1,500 metres in the Dande Formation.
“Musuma-1 is a compelling prospect with material scale and the potential to build on the success of the Mukuyu gas-condensate discovery,” Invictus managing director Scott Macmillan said in a statement.
He said seismic amplitude anomalies and structural data from the CB23 survey had identified Musuma as one of the basin’s key follow-up exploration targets.
Invictus said early site works and rig mobilisation activities were already underway ahead of drilling operations.
The campaign follows the company’s Mukuyu discovery in 2023, which consultancy Wood Mackenzie ranked as Sub-Saharan Africa’s second-largest oil and gas discovery of the year. Mukuyu is estimated to contain about 230 million barrels of oil equivalent, or 1.3 Tcf of gas, based on two wells drilled so far.
Invictus has invested about US$100 million in seismic surveys, geological studies and drilling activities across its 360,000-hectare licence area since 2022.
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The company has also moved to secure potential early revenue streams through gas-to-power agreements, including a deal to supply up to 50 MW to Eureka Gold Mine and another with Mbuyu Energy covering an initial 500 MW offtake arrangement that could expand to 1,000 MW.
Invictus recently raised A$10 million to fund ongoing exploration and appraisal work as it seeks additional strategic and industry partners following the termination of a proposed funding agreement with Qatar-based Al Mansour Holdings.
The Musuma-1 drilling campaign is expected to be a key test of the basin’s broader commercial potential and Invictus’ plans to advance a large-scale gas development project.
