All the necessary support systems are in place to support the resumption of oil and gas exploration off the coast of Namibia, says Patrick Kohlstaedt, general manager of Ocean Liner Services.He has been involved in developing Manica Namibia’s support for the oil and gas industry.“The oil and gas exploration projects that had been planned are mostly on hold, and some have been postponed indefinitely,” he told Freight News.Repairs to oil and gas vessels restarted under Level 2 Lockdown regulations, but international travel bans “still pose a challenge to that sector”, he says.Crew changes are also hampered by the grounding of commercial f lights. Ocean Liner Services has been making use of charter f lights to facilitate the replacement of crew and repatriation of those on board. By mid-May port operations had nearly returned to pre-Covid levels.“Corridor traffic is improving and we are looking forward to seeing more volume coming to Walvis Bay,” he says.Many projects are being affected by the delays caused by Covid-19 restrictions and the movement of personnel.
