Rhino Resources has confirmed that the Capricornus-1A appraisal well encountered an oil-bearing reservoir connected to the previously discovered Capricornus-1X reservoir, adding technical data for the ongoing appraisal of the Capricornus discovery in Petroleum Exploration Licence (PEL) 85 offshore Namibia.

The PEL 85 joint venture is operated by Rhino Resources, which holds a 42.5% working interest. Its partners are Azule Energy with 42.5%, NAMCOR with 10%, and Korres Investments with 5%.

Capricornus-1A was drilled in the eastern section of the Capricornus fairway identified by the earlier Capricornus-1X discovery. The well was spudded on 2 May 2026 using the Saipem 12000 drillship in a water depth of 1,285 m. It reached a total measured depth of 4,818 m on 11 June 2026, with drilling operations completed without reported safety incidents.

The appraisal well intersected a gross reservoir interval of 46 m. A core sample was taken from the main reservoir section, and wireline logging and formation evaluation data were collected.

Preliminary downhole pressure analysis indicated that the oil-bearing sandstone reservoir is in pressure communication with the reservoir encountered by Capricornus-1X. The result supports further evaluation of reservoir continuity across the Capricornus accumulation.

The joint venture will integrate the core, pressure and wireline datasets from Capricornus-1A with information from previous wells across PEL 85 for further appraisal and exploration work.

Rhino Resources said the well also provided geological data from deeper intervals that were not encountered at Capricornus-1X, supporting its assessment of subsurface structures and play fairways across the licence area.