• Rhino Resources struck gas condensate at Volans-1X well in PEL 85, Orange Basin.

• It marks the firm’s third consecutive success on the block, adding to oil finds.

• The discovery highlights Namibia’s diverse hydrocarbon potential despite industry hurdles.

Rhino Resources, through its Namibian subsidiary, announced on October 1 the discovery of rich gas condensate at the Volans-1X well on offshore license PEL 85 in the Orange Basin.

The find marks the company’s third straight success on the block, following earlier oil discoveries in the area. Together, they underscore the diversity of deposits that broaden the region’s hydrocarbon potential.

Drilling at Volans-1X began on July 31, 2025, using the Deepsea Mira semi-submersible rig. The well reached a total depth of 4,497.5 meters on August 30. Logging operations revealed about 26 meters of net reservoir within Upper Cretaceous formations, with no water contact detected.

Samples confirmed that the gas contains a significant liquid fraction. These condensates are comparable in quality to light crude oil of 40° API. Rhino noted that these features differ from those in the Capricornus-1X and Sagittarius-1X wells drilled on the same license.

Since 2022, the Orange Basin has been the site of several major discoveries. TotalEnergies struck light crude at the Venus-1X well in block 2913 B, while Shell encountered hydrocarbon columns in its Graff-1X, La Rona-1X, and Jonker-1X wells.

More recently, however, Shell wrote down part of its Namibian assets, citing commercial uncertainty linked to high gas content in its finds. TotalEnergies also slowed development of the Venus field, pointing to the technical challenge posed by large volumes of associated gas.