Oregen appoints former Impact Oil & Gas executive as advisor for Namibia exploration push

Canadian oil and gas firm Oregen Energy Corp (CSE: ORNG, OTCQB: OGREF, FSE: A1S0) has appointed veteran petroleum geologist Philip Birch as a strategic advisor to the board as the company advances exploration in Namibia’s Orange Basin.

According to a press statement on May 11, Oregen last month signed a non-binding letter of intent to assess a potential investment in its local partner Petrovena Energy. Namibian-based Petrovena has been granted the right to enter a petroleum agreement and obtain a licence for Block 2812Ab in Namibia’s Orange Basin.

Block 2812Ab borders Block 2913B (PEL 56), where the major Venus oil discovery was made by TotalEnergies (EPA/LSE/NYSE:TTE) in 2022. The block is located within the same Upper Cretaceous deepwater geological trend as Venus and several other recent Orange Basin discoveries, suggesting similar hydrocarbon potential. Oregen believes the close proximity to proven discoveries increases the block’s importance as exploration and development activity in Namibia’s offshore sector continues to grow.

“As Strategic Advisor to Oregen, Mr. Birch will provide guidance on exploration strategy, subsurface evaluation, seismic interpretation, prospect generation, and technical positioning, with a particular focus on Block 2812Ab and the broader Orange Basin fairway,” the statement read.

Birch has decades of international experience in global frontier basin exploration and deepwater petroleum systems. He most recently served as exploration director at UK-based private explorer Impact Oil & Gas, where he helped build the company’s offshore Namibia portfolio and played a key role in maturing the Venus prospect before it was successfully drilled by TotalEnergies in 2022. He also helped secure licences and arrange the farm-out deal with TotalEnergies before retiring from the board in 2025.

According to Oregen Energy CEO Mason Granger, the company’s decision to pursue an investment in Block 2812Ab was driven by its proximity to the Venus discovery and its position within the same proven geological fairway.

“Philip’s experience in building, de‑risking, and advancing one of the world's most important offshore petroleum provinces gives us a level of technical perspective and credibility that is exceptionally rare for a company at our stage,” Granger said. “His deep familiarity with the Orange Basin’s geology and regional play fairway is an exceptional asset as we advance our 2812Ab evaluation.”

Oregen Energy Corp. is an investment company with its primary focus on oil and gas opportunities in Africa. The company is actively exploring prospects in the Orange Basin and nearby areas. Oregen says its current flagship asset is a 33.95% net interest in Block 2712A in the Orange Basin offshore Namibia, an emerging world-class petroleum province with multiple recent discoveries by major operators.