Following a period of challenging drilling work, including horizontal wells, Lime Petroleum has confirmed that the hook-up of its Mobile Offshore Production Unit (MOPU) and Floating Storage and Offloading unit (FSO) has been completed on the Sèmè field in Benin.
After the FSO Kristina was anchored in place, a flow-line was laid from the Stella Energy 1 MOPU to the FSO.
“Commissioning of the production system is well underway, with oil now flowing into the FSO,” a Lime Petroleum statement noted on 5 March, 2026.
Over the coming days, further testing and commissioning will take place, with the aim to optimise production rates and start regular production, it added.
However, drilling operations proved a challenge, the company reported earlier in February.
While the latest operational milestones marked an important step forward, it noted that drilling operations “encountered significant technical complications” — this resulted in a “material increase in drilling costs and a production delay of more than three months.”
The delays and complications brought with them knock-on financial implications, it added.
At the field, it follows the drilling of the AK-2H production well by Lime Petroleum’s wholly-owned indirect subsidiary Akrake Petroleum Benin.
A total of 1,405 metres was drilled horizontally through the reservoir section at the site.
The well was geo-steered using advanced Logging While Drilling (LWD) tools to ensure the well only encountered oil-bearing reservoir sandstone.
The Sèmè Field, discovered by Union Oil in 1969, is located in Benin’s Block 1in shallow water depth of 20 to 30 metres.
It was first developed by Norwegian oil company, Saga Petroleum, and had produced approximately 22 MMbbl1 between 1982 and 1998, before production was stopped prematurely due to low oil prices of around US$14 per barrel in 1998.
