Wedoany.com Report on Mar 16th, Houston-based U.S. energy company Vaalco Energy recently provided updates on its operational progress in Africa. Offshore Gabon, the company is advancing its Phase 3 drilling program using Borr Drilling's Norve jack-up rig; simultaneously, the refurbished Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, the Baobab, is returning from offshore South Africa to Côte d'Ivoire, with the field expected to restart in the second quarter of 2026.
Regarding the FPSO Baobab, Vaalco confirmed that refurbishment work was completed in February 2026. The vessel ceased production in January 2025, subsequently traveled to Dubai for refurbishment, and is now returning to Block CI-40 in Côte d'Ivoire, with arrival expected in late March 2026. The company has secured a drilling rig for the development drilling program at the Baobab field, planned to commence in the fourth quarter of 2026, aiming to significantly boost production.
In Côte d'Ivoire, Vaalco, as the operator of the Kossipo field in Block CI-40, holds a 60% working interest. The field development plan is scheduled for completion in the second half of 2026, and the company is analyzing ocean bottom node seismic data to de-risk the project. The field was discovered in 2002, with a 2019 appraisal test yielding over 7,000 barrels per day.
In Gabon, Vaalco's drilling program, initiated in the fourth quarter of 2025, drilled a pilot well at the Etame field and continued with the development well Etame 15H-ST1 in December 2025. This well came online in January 2026, meeting expectations. Although the target zone of the West Etame exploration well encountered water, the company is sidetracking to drill a development well.
Vaalco CEO George Maxwell stated: "We are utilizing the wellbore to sidetrack another Gamba development well, then moving to the SEENT and Ebouri platforms for multiple well and workover operations to enhance production, reduce costs, and potentially add reserves." He added: "The Baobab FPSO is expected to return to offshore Côte d'Ivoire in late March, after which we plan to initiate the Phase 5 drilling program."
Upon completing operations at the Etame platform, Vaalco plans to move the rig to the SEENT and Ebouri platforms for production enhancement and workover activities. Furthermore, the company's 3D seismic campaign on the Niosi and Guduma blocks was completed in January 2026, providing data to support exploration decisions.
