By Bill Lehane and Katarina Höije
November 12, 2026 – Benin has re-entered the list of West African countries that export oil, with its first shipment of crude heading to Europe from an offshore field that has been unused since the late 1990s.
The oil tanker Kriti Jade is on its way to the Dutch port of Rotterdam, expected to arrive on November 18 after loading oil off the coast of Benin earlier this month, according to data from Bloomberg.
This shipment highlights the work of companies that focus on extracting the last drops of oil from aging or idle fields, as well as the rising crude prices that help fund these operations.
The cargo contains 330,000 barrels from the Seme field, which is run by Akrake Petroleum SA, Benin’s state oil firm. Akrake has not yet replied to requests for comment via phone or email.
Benin's oil production from the Seme field saw a significant decline in the 1990s due to insufficient investment, as noted in a report from the International Monetary Fund at the time. Akrake began its drilling campaign last year and started production in the first quarter of 2026, based on information from a company presentation.
Akrake is among energy companies like Perenco SA and Afentra Plc, which extract oil from aging fields throughout Africa. Afentra has also targeted a block in Angola's Kwanza basin, which was closed for 27 years due to a civil war.