Benin Ships First Crude Cargo for Decades From Revived Oil Field

By Bill Lehane and Katarina Höije

Nov 12, 2026 (Bloomberg) –Benin has rejoined the ranks of West Africa’s oil-exporting states, with its first crude oil cargo headed to Europe from an offshore field that had been dormant since the late 1990s.  

The oil tanker Kriti Jade is headed to the Dutch port of Rotterdam with an estimated arrival of Nov. 18 after loading offshore Benin early in the month, tanker-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg showed. 

The shipment highlights the business of companies that specialize in getting the last barrels out of oil fields that are mature or have sat idle, and higher crude prices that boost operating budgets.

The cargo of 330,000 barrels of oil was from the Seme field, which is operated by Akrake Petroleum SA, Benin’s state oil company said. Akrake didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment by phone and email.

Benin’s output from Seme began a steep decline in the 1990s due to a lack of investment, the International Monetary Fund wrote in a report at the time. Akrake started a drilling campaign last year and began production in the first quarter of 2026, according to a company presentation.

Akrake joins energy firms such as Perenco SA and Afentra Plc that produce oil from mature fields across the continent. Afentra has targeted a block in Angola’s Kwanza basin, which was shut due to a civil war that lasted for 27 years. 

© 2026 Bloomberg L.P.

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