• Akrake Petroleum completed the AK-2H production well at the offshore Sèmè field.
• Technical results confirmed high porosity and oil saturation, supporting commercial potential.
• Production start slipped beyond January 2026, with no revised timetable announced.

Akrake Petroleum, an indirect subsidiary of Rex International, announced the successful completion of drilling at the AK-2H production well on the offshore Sèmè field, located off the coast of Benin. The company described the well as a key milestone in the Sèmè offshore oil project and said the development should strengthen national output and support the expansion of Benin’s energy sector.

About 950 meters of the wellbore intersected the oil-bearing H6 reservoir, confirming the presence of potentially recoverable volumes. The remaining section crossed non-productive shale layers. Collected data showed average porosity above 19%, indicating a reservoir capable of storing significant hydrocarbon volumes. Average oil saturation exceeded 70%, signaling that oil filled most pore spaces and supported favorable production conditions. Engineers identified no aquifer sands, which reduced the risk of water production, a common operational issue in some oil wells.

To secure and optimize oil flow, operators equipped the well with sand screens, which prevent reservoir sand from flowing with hydrocarbons, and autonomous inflow control valves (AICVs), which regulate production and limit water inflow. Teams are installing an electric submersible pump (ESP) to lift oil to the surface when natural reservoir pressure proves insufficient.

Successful Drilling, but Delayed Start-Up

Despite the technical success of drilling operations, the operator will not meet the original production start date, which targeted late January 2026. Production now depends on the completion of the tie-in operations connecting the well to core facilities, including the Stella Energy 1 mobile offshore production unit and the Kristina floating storage and offloading unit (FSO).

The operator has not communicated any revised production schedule. The company cited ongoing offshore connection operations as the reason for the absence of a new official timeline.

The drilling campaign also includes the AK-1H horizontal well, which targets the H6 reservoir, and the AK-1P exploration well, which aims to improve understanding of deeper reservoirs. The company expects the data to support production optimization and help assess the field’s medium-term potential.

The project forecasts an initial production plateau of about 15,000 barrels per day, with upside potential from deeper resources identified by AK-1P.

The offshore Sèmè block holds strategic importance for Benin, as it represents one of the country’s few fully developed offshore oil fields. Authorities relaunched the field redevelopment program in August 2025, after 27 years of inactivity, with an initial start-up target before the end of last year. Technical difficulties affecting shale layers and equipment performance forced a delay.

Akrake Petroleum holds a 76% stake in the block, while the Beninese government owns 15% and local firm Octogone Trading holds 9%.

Olivier de Souza