• Benin completed the conversion of its offshore installation into a mobile production unit (MOPU), marking a key step toward restarting the Sèmè oil field after a 27-year shutdown.

• The project’s initial redevelopment phase will target the H6 reservoirs with a vertical well followed by a horizontal well, according to the Qualified Person’s Report.

• Stakeholders aim to resume production in the second half of 2025, targeting roughly 16,000 barrels per day.

Drilling resumed in August 2025 on Benin’s Sèmè oil field after a 27-year halt. Stakeholders now aim to restart production as quickly as possible.

Benin reached a major milestone in its plan to revive the Sèmè field. The offshore installation dedicated to the project is now operational following its conversion into a mobile offshore production unit (MOPU). Upstream reported on November 14 that Drydocks World in Dubai completed the conversion and delivered the platform for deployment.

The progress aligns with earlier developments. Offshore Energy reported in late April 2025 that Akrake Petroleum, a subsidiary of Rex International Holding, signed contracts for a MOPU and a floating storage unit (FSO) for the field.

According to the Qualified Person’s Report (QPR) released in August 2024 for Rex International, the project’s initial redevelopment phase will target the H6 reservoirs. The report, prepared by Exceed Torridon Ltd, outlines plans for a first vertical well followed by a horizontal well. Offshore work will advance through the installation of the MOPU and the FSO. Earlier data cite an expected arrival by the end of 2025.

The Sèmè field produced roughly 22 million barrels of crude between 1982 and 1998 under the operation of Norway’s Saga Petroleum. Production stopped due to sustained low oil prices.

The next steps involve connecting the MOPU to the new wells and to the storage platform. The QPR states that operators will consider developing the deeper H7 and H8 reservoirs after the initial phase. Stakeholders maintain the target of restarting output in the second half of 2025 and aim for production of about 16,000 barrels per day.

This article was initially published in French by Abdel-Latif Boureima

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum