Rhino Resources Ltd says it has officially commenced drilling operations on its operated Petroleum Exploration Licence (PEL) 85 in the offshore Orange Basin.
The campaign kicked off with the spudding of the Sagittarius-1X well, utilizing the state-of-the-art drillship Noble Venturer.
“This is a very exciting moment for Rhino and our partners as we reach the culmination of almost a decade of work in the region. We’ve accelerated investment to advance our understanding of the subsurface, and the basin has become one of the most exciting postcodes for exploration drilling,” said CEO of Rhino Resources Travis Smithard
Situated in a water depth of approximately 1400 meters, the Sagittarius-1X well is projected to take around 45 days to complete. The privately-owned company has positioned this exploratory effort near significant recent discoveries in the region. PEL 85 is located just south of Galp Energia’s substantial Mopane discovery in PEL 83 and east of multiple successful finds by Shell in PEL 39, including the Graff discovery.
Although close to these high-profile discoveries, Rhino Resources emphasized that the Sagittarius prospect targets multiple stacked reservoirs in a distinct geological setting. The reservoirs are situated in an up-dip position within the basin, testing different elements of the Orange Basin’s play fairway.
Rhino has also outlined plans for a second well to be drilled immediately after Sagittarius. Depending on the outcomes of these initial wells, the company may consider additional exploratory or appraisal activities to further evaluate the area’s hydrocarbon potential.
“As operator of a multi-well program, our focus is on operational excellence and environmental stewardship,” Smithard said
The Orange Basin has recently garnered global attention due to its promising energy resources, and Rhino Resources’ exploration campaign represents another significant step in unlocking the basin’s potential.
Rhino has been exploring in Namibia for over a decade, and today holds Operatorship of Block 2914A (PEL 85) with a 42.5% interest with Azule Energy Exploration Angola (42.5%) Namcor Exploration and Production (10%), and Korres Investments (5%).
