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BP Confirms Significant Hydrocarbon Discovery in the Orange Basin

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Key Takeaways

  • {\"0\":\"BP confirmed a hydrocarbon discovery in the Orange Basin through its Volans-1X exploratory well.\",\"1\":\"The well hit 26 meters of net pay with rich gas condensate and excellent reservoir properties.\",\"2\":\"Rhino Resources operates the PEL85 with 42.5% interest, alongside Azule Energy, NAMCOR, and Korres.\"}

BP plc (BP - Free Report) , the British oil and gas major, has made a new hydrocarbon discovery in the Orange Basin offshore Namibia. The discovery was initially reported by Rhino Resources, an African exploration and production company, and later confirmed by BP. BP mentioned that the exploratory well, Volans-1X, drilled in the Petroleum Exploration License 85 (PEL85), has yielded encouraging results.

Volans-1X Well Encounters Rich Gas Condensate

Per BP’s announcement, the well has been drilled to a total true vertical depth subsea of 4,497.5 meters. The well has successfully reached the Upper Cretaceous geological formation. Additionally, the well came across 26 meters of net pay in reservoirs containing rich gas condensate. The reservoir has demonstrated excellent petrophysical properties, likely showing high porosity and good permeability. No observable water contact has been reported. BP also stated that the initial analysis of two samples from the exploration campaign has indicated a high condensate-to-gas ratio exceeding 140 barrels per million standard cubic feet (bbl/mmscf). This signifies that the gas is liquid-rich, enhancing the commercial value of the hydrocarbon discovery.

The Volans-1X well was drilled by Rhino Resources, which holds a 42.5% working interest (WI) and is the operator of PEL85. The other partners in the license include Azule Energy holding a 42.5% WI, NAMCOR with a 10% stake and Korres Investments with a 5% stake. Azule Energy is a 50-50 joint venture between BP and Eni. The company has previously made significant oil and gas discoveries in Africa, including Angola’s Gajajeira-01 gas discovery. 

Orange Basin Emerging as a Hotspot for Global Energy Majors

The Orange Basin in Namibia has garnered significant attention in recent years. Several major oil companies have made similar discoveries in the region. Namibia aims to follow a similar path to Guyana, a South American nation, which gained prominence in the energy landscape after several major offshore discoveries were made in Guyanese waters. Guyana has experienced a major oil boom because of these discoveries, making it the fastest-growing economy in the world. However, Namibia falls short in terms of infrastructure development, which makes it challenging to develop the region’s oil and gas discoveries. Without proper infrastructure, developing these resources becomes costlier and extends project timelines, thereby making it even more difficult to realize their value quickly.

BP’s Zacks Rank and Key Picks

BPcurrently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Some better-ranked stocks from the energy sector are Cheniere Energy Inc. (LNG - Free Report) , Archrock, Inc. (AROC - Free Report) and TechnipFMC plc (FTI - Free Report) . While Cheniere Energy and Archrock sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) each at present, TechnipFMC carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Cheniere Energy is involved in LNG-related businesses, which include LNG terminals and natural gas marketing. The company has achieved a milestone with the first production from the first LNG train of its Corpus Christi Stage 3 Liquefaction Project. The project, which includes seven midscale LNG trains, aims to expand the production capacity of the Corpus Christi Liquefaction facility. This expansion is expected to strengthen Cheniere's position in the rapidly growing global LNG market, enabling it to meet the rising demand for LNG both in the United States and internationally.

Archrock is an energy infrastructure company based in the United States with a focus on midstream natural gas compression. It provides natural gas contract compression services and generates stable fee-based revenues. With natural gas playing an increasingly important role in the energy transition journey, AROC is expected to witness sustained demand for its services.

TechnipFMC plcis a leading manufacturer and supplier of products, services and fully integrated technology solutions for the energy industry. FTI’s project backlog, now at $15.8 billion, has grown sequentially in six of the last seven quarters, reinforcing long-term revenue visibility for the company.


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