Oil Returns to Benin Waters After 30 Years as Rex Begins Major Drilling Campaign
Rex International’s subsidiary Akrake Petroleum has commenced drilling operations at the Sèmè Field in Block 1 offshore Benin, marking the first oil production activity in the area for nearly three decades. The company spudded its first well on August 4, 2025, using the Borr Gerd jack-up drilling rig.
The ambitious 100-day, three-well work program aims to redevelop the dormant Sèmè Field with an initial production target of approximately 15,000 barrels of oil per day. The campaign includes two horizontal production wells in the previously developed H6 formation and a deeper vertical appraisal well to gather crucial data from the H7 and H8 reservoirs.
Production is expected to commence in the fourth quarter of 2025 following the arrival and installation of a refurbished Mobile Offshore Production Unit (MOPU) and a Floating Storage & Offloading unit (FSO). Dr. Steve Moore, Deputy Chief Operating Officer of Rex and General Manager of Akrake Petroleum, expressed excitement about bringing oil production back to Benin after such an extended period of inactivity.
Sources: energy-pedia.com, offshore-mag.com, oedigital.com
