Vaalco Energy has resumed production from the Baobab field on the CI-40 block offshore Côte d’Ivoire following the completion of refurbishment work on the Baobab Ivoirien floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel.
Hydrocarbon operations at the field were halted in January 2025 as part of a planned refurbishment program for the FPSO. Following a nine-month overhaul in Dubai, the vessel returned to Côte d’Ivoire in the second quarter of 2026, where it was re-moored and reconnected to field infrastructure.
Production has restarted from four producing wells, with the remaining three producers expected to be brought back online shortly.
According to Vaalco, the field performance is in line with expectations.
The refurbishment was undertaken to extend the operational life of the FPSO and support a planned development drilling campaign at the Baobab field scheduled to begin in the second half of 2026.
The Phase 5 drilling program is expected to include four production wells, two to three injection wells and two workovers, targeting additional production from the main Baobab field.
“We are excited that the Baobab field on the CI-40 block offshore Côte d’Ivoire has restarted production in line with our projected timeline. We have the CI-40 block license extended through 2038 and believe that there is significant development drilling upside at Baobab,” said George Maxwell, Vaalco’s Chief Executive Officer.
Vaalco entered Côte d’Ivoire in 2024 and has since established a position in the country through development and exploration activities. The company said the Baobab restart and recent drilling results in Gabon are expected to support its growth plans through the remainder of 2026.