MIAMI, Aug. 22 (UPI) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will visit Namibia next month, possibly hoping to secure a deal that would give his country’s state-run energy company a leg up on other nations seeking untapped oil potential in Africa.

Though Chavez spokesmen would not officially comment on the agenda of the Namibia visit in September, Energy Ministry officials have expressed an interest in a joint Namibia and Venezuela oil exploration project.

In recent years, Chavez has sought to find new customers for his country’s crude in hopes of lessening Venezuela’s dependency on the United States, the South American country’s top customer.

Last month Chavez traveled to Gambia for the African Union summit along with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. At those talks, Chavez said his country was “tired of being exploited” by the United States and sought to bolster ties with African leaders who share his sentiment.

His announced visit to Africa in September follows the recent decision by Venezuela to create its own “Halliburton-style company" to manage every aspect of its own oil production and expand capabilities for operations abroad.