Porto-Novo – The Beninese government has announced the delivery of a mobile offshore production unit. This is a pivotal operational step towards resuming activity at the Semi oil field, which has been dormant for over two decades, having ceased production in 1998.
Rehabilitated basic infrastructure
The unit received by Benin is an offshore platform converted into a mobile offshore production unit (MOPU). It was refurbished at Drydocks World facilities in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This unit is now operational and forms a key component of the technical system implemented to revive oil production along the Benin coast.
Akraki Petroleum, a subsidiary of Singapore’s Rex International Holdings, is leading the redevelopment project. The company announced agreements in late April for the supply of an MOPU (Mass Operating Unit) and a Floating Storage Unit (FSO). These two facilities are essential to ensuring the continuity and independence of production.
drilling targeting 16,000 barrels per day
The redevelopment of the Simi field is based on updated geological data. It takes into account the field’s past performance, which produced approximately 22 million barrels between 1982 and 1998.
Production target: Beninese authorities are targeting an average production of 16,000 barrels per day when operations resume, scheduled for the second half of 2025.
Drilling operations: Drilling operations resumed last August with the start of drilling a vertical well, followed by a horizontal well scheduled in the project timetable.
Operational Mechanism: The MOPU unit, currently en route to Benin’s waters, will connect to the new wells and the floating storage and offloading (FSO) vessel to enable the storage and offloading of extracted crude oil. This infrastructure provides significant operational flexibility, eliminating the need for a fixed platform.
Further development may include expanding operations to include deeper reservoirs, namely H7 and H8, depending on the technical and economic performance of the initial phase.
A strategic return to the oil map
The revival of the Semi field is part of Benin’s strategy to strengthen its energy independence. It also aims to tap into its offshore hydrocarbon potential after 27 years of inactivity.
The production unit and storage system are expected to be fully operational by the end of 2025. This restart will reposition Benin as a secondary but strategic player in the Gulf of Guinea, a region experiencing renewed interest in offshore oil projects.
