BP’s most recent discovery in Namibia is the eleventh globally in 2025 since the UK major refocused its investments strategy back to its core oil and gas businesses.
BP has confirmed a major gas condensate discovery at the Volans-1X exploration well in Namibia’s Orange Basin, operated by South African independent Rhino Resources, in partnership with BP’s 50/50 Azule Energy joint venture with Eni.
The discovery is Azule’s second hydrocarbon find in Namibia and its third overall this year in African waters.
Cape Town-headquartered Rhino operates petroleum exploration license 85 (PEL85) with a 42.5% working interest in partnership with Azule Energy (42.5%), Namibia’s state oil company NAMCOR (10%), and Korres Investments (5%).
The Volans-1X exploration well, drilled by Northern Ocean’s semisubmersible Deepsea Mira (managed by Norway’s Odfjell Drilling), reached 4,497.5 m true vertical depth subsea and successfully penetrated the Upper Cretaceous target, according to BP.
The well encountered 26 m of net pay in rich gas condensate-bearing reservoirs, with the reservoir showing excellent petrophysical properties and no observed water contact, a news release noted on 21 October.
Positive Lab Tests To Start
Initial laboratory analysis of two samples showed a high condensate-to-gas ratio exceeding 140 bbl/MMscf with a liquid density of around 40 °API gravity with results to be further evaluated.
The Volans-1X well marks the third major hydrocarbon discovery in 2025 for Azule Energy. The 50/50 partnership between BP and Eni announced the Capricornus-1X light oil find in Namibia in April, and in July struck gas at Gajajeira-01 in Block 1/14 of Angola’s Lower Congo Basin.
In drilling the Capricornus well, the Noble Venturer drillship, owned and operated by Noble Corp., encountered 38 m of net pay, with good reservoir properties and no water contact after reaching its total depth and successfully targeting the Lower Cretaceous. Comprehensive wireline logging operations provided hydrocarbon samples and sidewall cores for analysis.
In Angola, Azule Energy operates Block 1/14 with a 35% stake in partnership with Equinor (30%), state oil companies Sonagol E&P (25%) and ACREP (10%).
Since announcing in February that it would refocus its strategy away from renewables to concentrate on its core oil and gas business, BP has reported 11 exploration discoveries across several basins, including the Far South discovery in the Gulf of America and well 1-BP-13-SPS at the Bumerangue block in Brazil’s Santos Basin, where it holds a 100% stake.
Source: WAES
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