Benin returns to the ranks of oil-producing countries: initial timetable fails.

The prospect of Benin rejoining the ranks of oil-producing countries, initially announced for 2025, is experiencing technical delays that push back the planned schedule.

According to Ecofin Agency, the project is moving forward, but at a slower pace than expected. Since August 2025, the local subsidiary of Akrake Petroleum, operator of the Sèmè offshore block, has kicked off a drilling campaign aimed at restarting the exploitation of this historic reservoir, which has been inactive for almost thirty years.

The work involves drilling three wells, as well as installing a mobile offshore production unit and a storage unit, infrastructures essential for the effective resumption of production.

The initial ambition of the project’s promoters was to start production by the end of 2025, with an estimated output of between 15,000 and 16,000 barrels per day. However, technical constraints related to drilling operations led to a postponement of the start of production.

As of now, no new official date has been released publicly. The difficulties encountered are considered significant enough to justify this schedule slippage, according to Ecofin Agency.

Institutionally, the Beninese government had already reaffirmed in 2024 its intention to see the country become a producer and exporter of oil from 2025, relying on the exploitable reserves of the Sèmè-Kraké field.

At the end of the current phase of works, once drilling is completed and the production and storage units are fully operational, the resumption of production should allow Benin to monetize its offshore oil resources.

The success of this revival now depends on the ability of the technical teams to overcome the obstacles encountered and to finalize the installation of the planned infrastructures.