Some of the numbers presented in this website may not be the most recent available
globalshift.co.uk - copyright © 2009 to 2025; All rights reserved
S. AND E. AFRICA
Bird in the scrub
Brief history of the country
Botswana (the Republic of Botswana) is land-locked, bordering South Africa (south), Namibia (west and north - the Caprivi Strip) and Zimbabwe (northeast). It has a short northern border with Zambia.
San hunter-gatherers in the region were replaced by Bantus after 300 AD who evolved into Tswana tribes. In the 19th century Ndebele people began to make incursions from the northeast whilst Boer settlers began to encroach from the Transvaal.
After appeals by tribal leaders the British Government put Bechuanaland under its protection in 1885. Botswana (its northern territory) came under direct administration as the Bechuanaland Protectorate. When the Union of South Africa was formed in 1910 the Protectorate was not included and the policy of apartheid in South Africa ended any prospect of incorporation.
British central authority and local tribal governments created two advisory councils in 1920 to represent both Africans and Europeans. Eventually in 1964 the UK agreed to democratic self-government and the seat of government was moved from Mafikeng in South Africa to Gaborone.
Independence was then gained in 1966. Botswana now has a fast growing economy with an advanced financial system and a strong minerals and gemstone industry.
Oil and gas summary
Land-locked Botswana is topographically flat with gently rolling tableland. Around 70% of its territory lies in the Kalahari Desert.
The Okavango Delta, one of the world's largest inland deltas, is in the northwest. The Makgadikgadi Pan, a large salt pan, lies to the east of the delta. The Limpopo River Basin also lies partly in Botswana along the border with South Africa.
The country has no identified conventional oil or gas resources and Globalshift believes it is unlikely to achieve any oil production in the future. However substantial coal reserves located in the southeast of the country within the Karoo-Kalahari basin has yielded commercial coal bed methane production for local use.
The Lesedi CBM project involves exploiting these reserves for electricity generation. There also may be potential for shale gases plus some minor NGLs in associated beds.
BOTSWANA
Map and National Flag
South and East Africa
Capital
Population
Land area (sq kms)
Oil prod (000s b/d)
Gas prod (bcm/yr)
Oil cons (000s b/d)
Gas cons (bcm/yr)
Gaborone
2 mm
582,000
None
None
16
None
Government
Botswana is a presidential democratic republic, with the President as head of state in a multi-party system.
The National Assembly has 57 elected and 4 appointed members with the party that wins the majority electing the President. The President then appoints the Vice President subject to endorsement by the National Assembly.
The energy industries are overseen by the Department of Mines at the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security. Botswana Oil Limited is the NOC responsible for ensuring security of fuel supply established in 2013.
Geology and History of Exploration
The geology of land-locked Botswana includes basement rocks of the Kaapvaal-Zimbabwe craton which extends into northern Botswana.
To the east and southeast metamorphic rocks of Archaean age are covered by Karoo rocks and post-Cretaceous Kalahari Group sediments laid down in the Kalahari Basin underlying large parts of the centre of the country.
In the northwest more recent sediments belong to the Damara Belt.
The mining of diamonds is especially important to Botswana’s economy. There are more than 20 kimberlite pipes, mostly of Cretaceous age.
The country also produces copper, gold, nickel and cobalt whilst coal and soda ash are significant. Coal reserves lie in the east of the country and are potential sources of coal bed methane.
Globalshift considers Botswana to have no conventional oil and gas potential but unconventional gas volumes are present both as CBM and within Karoo shales.
History - No conventional oil or gas fields have been discovered in the country and very few wells have been drilled. Globalshift does not forecast any future conventional production of oil or gas from the country.
Unconventional Gas - is expoited at the Lesedi CBM Project. It is operated by Tlou Energy which owns prospecting Licenses extending for 8,500 sq kms in the Karoo-Kalahari Basin of southeastern Botswana. Operations have been ongoing since 2007.
Several exploration and appraisal work programs have identified significant gas resources and in 2016 Tlou Energy was selected by the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources (MMEWR) to develop a CBM power plant at the Project.
Shale gas - potential has also been identified and licences are being evaluated by Karoo Energy along with CBM projects. Karoo has 100% ownership of 4 shale gas licences and two coal bed methane licences in southern Botswana.