Key Points
- Invictus Energy to expand oil and gas drilling in Zimbabwe’s Cabora Bassa Basin by 2025.
- Planned gas-to-power projects could help Zimbabwe reduce reliance on electricity imports amid power shortages.
- Mukuyu gas fields rank as Africa’s second-largest petroleum discovery, with massive potential for Zimbabwe’s energy future.
Australian energy firm Invictus Energy is planning further test drilling at its Musuma prospect in northern Zimbabwe’s Cabora Bassa Basin next year, aiming to confirm the area’s substantial gas and oil reserves.
The move follows previous successes in the Mbire district, where the firm discovered significant resources, sparking hope for Zimbabwe’s energy security and economic growth.
Expanded drilling and resource potential
Invictus Energy’s latest update through to September 30 reveals plans to drill the Musuma prospect in 2025. Seismic amplitude analysis suggests Musuma holds a recoverable resource of 1,170 Bcf of natural gas and 73 million barrels of condensate.
Invictus has deployed the Exalo 202 rig at Mukuyu-2, which previously demonstrated the region’s potential. The company drilled the Mukuyu-2 well seven kilometers and 450 meters up-dip from Mukuyu-1, which also showed significant resources. Data from both wells confirm the basin’s viability as a strategic energy asset.
Government partnerships and licensing extensions
The Zimbabwean government has expressed support for the venture, extending Invictus’ exploration license for Special Grant 4571 through June 2027. Alongside this, Invictus is negotiating a production-sharing agreement, which will guarantee the government a 40 percent share of hydrocarbon extraction proceeds.
It has finalized plans to acquire 3D seismic data across the Mukuyu field allowing it to annex the field’s potential and advance gas-to-power pilot projects for the Eureka Gold Mine.
Invictus signed a memorandum of understanding with Dallaglio Investments and Himoinsa Southern Africa for the power project, expected to initially supply 500 megawatts to the Eureka mine, eventually scaling up to 1,000 megawatts—enough to address nearly half of Zimbabwe’s power demand.
Addressing Zimbabwe’s power deficit
Zimbabwe struggles with recurring power outages owing to its reliance on imports despite low electricity demand of 2,200 MW. Invictus’s gas-to-power initiative could significantly reduce the nation’s dependency on external power sources, with the Mukuyu reserves estimated to produce enough gas to meet the long-term generation needs of the country.
According to Wood Mackenzie, a global energy research firm, Mukuyu was classified as the second-largest petroleum reserve in Africa in 2023. The field, which spans over 200 square kilometers, holds an estimated 20 trillion cubic feet of gas and 845 million barrels of condensate, marking Zimbabwe as an emerging player in Africa’s energy landscape.
This ambitious drilling and exploration program reflects Invictus’s commitment to realizing Zimbabwe’s energy independence and supporting economic growth through job creation, increased exports, and expanded revenue for the government.
