Seplat Energy Steps Up Offshore Drilling Push with Second Rig Contract

Seplat Energy is intensifying its offshore drilling campaign in Nigeria, with one jack-up rig already in the country and a second contracted to begin operations in 2027.

The energy company disclosed in its half-year financial statements on Thursday that the Shelf Drilling Victory jack-up rig remained on schedule to mobilise to its offshore assets and commence operations in the third quarter of 2026.

Preparations for the campaign advanced during the second quarter, including the completion of equipment-readiness activities, development of execution plans and continued engagement with key service providers.

Seplat said the scope of its 2026 offshore programme remained unchanged, with the company targeting two new wells at Oso.

The company has also signed a second offshore rig contract with operator ADES for the Shelf Drilling Odyssey. The rig is expected to mobilise to Nigeria in the first quarter of 2027, strengthening Seplat’s capacity to sustain offshore drilling beyond the current programme.

The two-rig plan underlines the company’s push to expand drilling activity, support production growth and improve the development of its offshore portfolio.

Seplat is simultaneously increasing activity across its onshore assets. It completed four wells under its 2026 onshore drilling programme during the first half of the year. The Oben-59 well was completed in the first quarter, while Amukpe-07, OHS KBAM-02 and OP-8 were completed in the second quarter. Another well, Sibiri-3, was completed in July.

The company also completed the remaining three well completions associated with its 2025 drilling programme during the period.

In July, Seplat moved a rig to begin drilling the Aku-A exploration well on PPL 2A25 in its Eastern Assets. Aku-A is the company’s third exploration well, following discoveries at Ethiope in OML 38 in 2013 and Sibiri-E in OML 40 in 2022.

The Aku prospect is targeting approximately 125 billion cubic feet of gross unrisked prospective gas resources in its primary reservoirs. If successful, Seplat plans to use gas from the discovery as feedstock for the ANOH gas plant.

Drilling operations in the first half were affected by well-specific execution challenges, including equipment-integrity issues and drilling-performance incidents. Seplat said it had introduced mitigation measures to support the delivery of its 2026 programme.

The company currently has five rigs operating onshore, with another two expected to mobilise in the third quarter. The additional capacity is expected to help Seplat complete its remaining planned wells by year-end and sustain its production-growth targets.