Interview: Investigative Researcher Challenges ReconAfrica’s Oil Discovery Claims

Investigative researcher Rob Parker has issued a strong warning regarding recent media headlines suggesting that Canadian oil company ReconAfrica has discovered oil in the Kavango region. Parker, who has monitored the company’s activities for years, says the public should treat such claims with caution.

According to him, the company “has a long-established pattern of using cherry-picked information” to present a narrative of discovery, even when the technical evidence does not support it. Unlike confirmed commercial finds by major operators, which include clear disclosure of hydrocarbon type, reservoir details, and tested flow rates, Parker says ReconAfrica’s latest statements lack these essential indicators.

He referenced similar claims made by company officials in September 2022, when representatives told an audience at a Chamber of Mines event that they had oil “that flows” in the Kavango. “None of this later turned out to be true,” Parker said, adding that the latest announcement appears to follow the same pattern.

Beyond the technical questions, Parker also raised issues regarding governance and transparency. He highlighted concerns involving the company’s founder and former chairman, Jay Park, whose biography published in June 2025 states that he contributed to drafting national oil legislation. Parker argues this represents a significant conflict of interest, given Park’s leadership role within a company active in the same sector.

He further claims Park has continued to present himself as a lawyer despite his legal license being administratively suspended since 2022. “We are not sure that this has been disclosed to the authorities,” Parker said, adding that this lack of clarity undermines trust in the company’s operations.

Parker concluded by urging authorities, investors, and the public to demand full technical disclosure before accepting claims of oil discoveries. “The pattern is consistent: the company keeps saying they have found oil when they have not,” he said.