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2025
Nov 2025: Akrake Petroleum (operator, 76%) has provided an update on the ongoing 3-well drilling campaign in the Sèmè Field. An FSO unit has arrived and a mooring system is being installed to be hooked up to a Mobile Offshore Production Unit (MOPU). Production should have started by early 2026.
2024
Aug 2024: Rex reports that Phase 1 reserves of the Sèmè field in Block 1 range between 11.4 and 13.6 mm bbls. Phase 1 is to redevelop it in mid-2025 by drilling one vertical E and A well plus a horizontal well followed by 2 horizontal wells in 2026. The production system will comprise a drilling platform, a mobile offshore production unit (MOPU), and an FSO.
Jan 2024: Akrake (operator, 76%) signed a PSC for Block 1 containing the Sèmè oil field. Union discovered it in 1969 and Saga produced 22 mm bbls between 1982 and 1998. Block 1 is 551 sq kms in water depths of 20-30m. Akrake plans a low-cost jackup MOPU and an FSO redevelopment.
2023
Aug 2023: Zenith Energy has abandoned its negotiations with the Ministry of Water and Mines for the Block 1 PSC containing the Sèmè oilfield in shallow water with onshore facilities and a tank farm for processing oil production.
2022
Sep 2022: Zenith Energy requested the award of a 9-year licence to operate offshore Block 1 containing the shallow water Seme oilfield. Attention will be directed towards developing the emerging Cretaceous play extending from Côte d’Ivoire to Nigeria. Zenith will also seek to use existing infrastructure installed in 2015 to restore commercial production at Seme.
2021
No significant news in 2021.
2020
No significant news in 2020.
2019
Sep 2019: MAN Energy Solutions has inaugurated the 127 MW Maria Gleta gas power plant near Cotonou increasing the country’s capacity for electricity generation by over 50%. LNG from Total’s FSRU will eventually ensure a stable gas supply to the plant which will expand to 400MW..
Jul 2019: Total and power utility, Société Béninoise d’Energie Electrique (SBEE), signed an agreement to develop a floating LNG import terminal supplying of up to 0.5 mmmtpa of LNG for 15 years to power plants in Maria Gléta. Imports will begin in 2021.
2018
No significant news in 2018.
2017
No significant news in 2017.
2016
No significant news in 2016.
2015
No significant news in 2015.
2014
Jul 2014: AGR has been awarded a contract to provide Well Project Management services to Hunt Oil for the drilling of one offshore exploration well plus one future option well. The contract includes provision of rig sourcing, drilling engineering, planning, procurement, regulatory requirements and operational support.
2013
Oct 2013: Benin's government hopes oil production will restart in 2014 from the Seme field, offshore block 1 to the east of Cotonou in 40m of water, controlled by South Atlantic Petroleum (SAPETRO). The country started producing oil in the 1970s but ceased in 1998. Tullow Oil is also exploring 4 blocks.
West Africa
