BP has confirmed an oil and gas find in Namibia’s Orange Basin, an area that has attracted major discoveries from global energy companies in recent years.
The UK-based company, through its 50/50 joint venture with Italy’s Eni known as Azule Energy, verified early results from the Volans-1X exploration well, first reported by operator Rhino Resources earlier this month.
The well was drilled under Petroleum Exploration License 85 (PEL85), operated by Rhino Resources with a 42.5% stake. Azule Energy also holds 42.5%, while NAMCOR and Korres Investments own 10% and 5%, respectively.
According to BP, the Volans-1X well found 26 meters of gas condensate-rich reservoirs with strong petrophysical qualities and no water contact. Early lab tests of two samples showed a high condensate-to-gas ratio and liquid density of around 40° API gravity. These findings are still under review.
This marks the third major discovery in 2025 for Azule Energy partners, following the Capricornus-1X light oil find in Namibia and the Gajajeira-01 gas find in Angola.
Other major players such as Shell, TotalEnergies, and Galp have also made sizable discoveries offshore Namibia. Shell’s Graff and TotalEnergies’ Venus finds have fueled growing exploration interest in the region.
Namibia aims to follow Guyana’s path as an emerging oil producer, but the country still lacks the infrastructure needed to quickly develop and commercialize its offshore resources, making progress slower and more costly.
In February, BP announced a shift to scale back renewable investments and focus on its core oil and gas operations. So far this year, the company has reported 11 discoveries across various regions, including the Far South find in the Gulf of America and a major discovery in Brazil’s Santos Basin—its largest in 25 years.
source: oilprice.com
African Energy Council