Rhino Resources Namibia Ltd has reported successful well test results from its Volans-1X discovery offshore Namibia, confirming the presence of high-quality gas-condensate resources and strong reservoir performance in the Orange Basin.
The company, on behalf of the Petroleum Exploration Licence 85 (PEL 85) joint venture, said drill stem testing of the Volans-1X well demonstrated strong hydrocarbon deliverability and reservoir connectivity, supporting further appraisal and development planning across the block.
PEL 85 is operated by Rhino with a 42.5% working interest, alongside co-venturers Azule Energy (42.5%), the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR) with 10%, and Korres Investments holding 5%.
The Volans-1X well, drilled on Block 2914A using Northern Ocean’s semi-submersible rig Deepsea Mira, was spudded on 31 July 2025 and reached a total depth of 4,497.5 metres true vertical depth subsea (TVDSS) on 30 August 2025. The well successfully penetrated its Upper Cretaceous target, with partners previously declaring it a high liquid-yield gas-condensate discovery in October 2025.
Following the discovery, the joint venture returned to the well between 5 and 13 January 2026 to conduct testing operations. The well was perforated across a 29.7-metre reservoir interval, delivering strong production results.
Testing recorded gas flow rates of approximately 33 million standard cubic feet per day (Mmscfd) alongside condensate production of about 5,300 barrels per day on a 46/64 choke. The condensate-gas ratio averaged around 160 stock tank barrels per million standard cubic feet, indicating a liquids-rich gas system.
The company also reported low impurity levels, with carbon dioxide concentrations of between 1% and 2% and hydrogen sulphide levels averaging around three parts per million, based on 200 samples collected during testing.
Rhino Resources Chief Executive Officer Travis Smithard said the results confirmed pre-drill expectations and strengthened confidence in the geological continuity of the reservoir.
“These well test results validate our pre-drill optimism around Volans, with the flow data suggesting that the Volans-1X well was drilled in a geologically contiguous reservoir system, which is very encouraging for our ongoing development planning purposes,” Smithard said.
He added that the flow data aligned with previously guided condensate-gas ratios and provided useful calibration with the nearby Capricornus discovery, helping to de-risk exploration across the licence area.
“The data provides a more holistic understanding of reservoir distribution across the block and is critical in informing the next steps for appraisal, development and production planning in collaboration with our partners,” he said.
Rhino said the results will guide future appraisal activities and development concepts as the joint venture evaluates commercial pathways for the acreage.
Rhino Resources, a Cape Town-based privately owned exploration and production company, operates PEL 85 with the ambition of advancing offshore discoveries towards first oil production.
The company is also active in South Africa, where it is exploring onshore for biogenic gas, helium and native hydrogen as part of its broader strategy to support energy security and the transition towards cleaner energy systems.
