Cotonou, Benin — Benin will resume offshore oil output this month after a 27-year pause, as operator Akrake Petroleum completes the final well of a three-well campaign at the Seme field, government and company statements indicate. First commercial flow is scheduled before February, restoring the country’s status as West Africa’s smallest offshore producer and ending almost three decades of full reliance on imported fuel.
The Singapore — backed firm began re-entry work in August 2024 aboard the jack-up rig Borr Gerd, targeting two horizontal producers in the proven H6 reservoir and a deeper vertical appraisal well that could support a second development phase, according to filings by parent company Rex International.
Historical output from 1982 to 1998 reached roughly 22 million barrels; authorities have not released updated reserve estimates. Official statements say all crude will be routed to domestic refineries, potentially trimming Benin’s annual import bill that local sources place in the 400–500 million United-States-dollar range.
The 2021 production-sharing contract grants the state a 30 % carried interest plus royalties; full fiscal terms have not been published.
Energy ministry communiqués say the revival aligns with a wider 2016-30 plan to diversify state income beyond the Port of Cotonou. Employment for coastal communities and training for Beninese technicians are also promised, though specific job numbers were not disclosed.
Environmental assessments have not been released publicly, and independent observers note that shallow — water operations carry spill risks for nearby fishing grounds.
No civic group filings on the issue could be verified. Drilling results so far are described as “encouraging” by the operator; actual plateau rate and timeline for Phase 2 remain unclear.
Further details are expected after the current well reaches target depth.
Source: Africa.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 5*
