VAALCO brings Baobab field back onstream as Phase 5 drilling program approaches

VAALCO Energy restarted production at the Baobab field on the CI-40 block offshore Côte d’Ivoire following completion of a nine-month refurbishment of the Baobab Ivoirien floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO).

The FPSO ceased hydrocarbon operations in January 2025 to undergo the refurbishment program in Dubai. The vessel returned to Côte d’Ivoire in early Q2 2026, was moored on location and reconnected to existing field infrastructure. Production has resumed from four of the field’s seven producing wells, with the remaining three expected to come back online shortly.

The refurbishment was carried out to extend the vessel’s operational life and support a significant development drilling program at Baobab planned to begin in H2 2026. The Phase 5 drilling program is expected to include four producers, two to three injectors and two workovers.