BW Energy plans to drill five new production wells on the Dussafu oil license offshore Gabon to restore the field’s output. The program was expanded following positive results from the Hibiscus 10P1 and 10P2 appraisal wells. Both encountered oil and could enable recovery of an additional eight million to nine million gross barrels, according to the operator.
Four wells were already planned for connection to the MaBoMo platform. The fifth will target the 10P2 discovery. BW Energy is targeting production of between 30,000 and 45,000 barrels per day across the Dussafu license. This range is a project objective, rather than a production level already achieved. The immediate operating ceiling is also constrained by the BW Adolo floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO), whose maximum capacity is estimated at 40,000 barrels per day.
Potential confirmed, but the timetable has shifted
The 10P1 and 10P2 results provide further indications of hydrocarbon accumulations at Dussafu and pave the way for production wells. They add to a favorable drilling record: BW Energy says 13 of the 14 wells drilled under its license program encountered oil. This success rate does not guarantee that every accumulation can be developed at the same cost or flow rate.
MaBoMo’s second phase, which will accommodate the new wells, is now expected to begin production in the first quarter of 2027. The operator had previously targeted a start in 2026, but postponed it to prioritize appraisal drilling. The schedule provides better reservoir information, but delays additional volumes and extends the period of lower field production.
In the second quarter of 2026, BW Energy’s net share of Dussafu production had fallen to 19,300 barrels per day. This measures the company’s share and is not directly comparable with the gross target of 30,000 to 45,000 barrels per day for the entire license. The distinction is essential when assessing volumes attributable to the group after applying partners’ interests.
FPSO capacity imposes another ceiling
Dussafu had already reached around 40,000 barrels per day in early 2025, the BW Adolo’s maximum capacity. The new upper target of 45,000 barrels per day therefore requires clarification of how the operator intends to handle flows above this limit. Available information does not specify whether technical optimization, capacity expansion or another processing arrangement is envisaged.
In the short term, recovery in production will depend on commissioning the wells connected to MaBoMo, their productivity and FPSO availability. The operator will also need to manage reservoir pressure, maintenance requirements and the behavior of existing wells. Drilling projects can add volumes, but actual flow rarely stabilizes at initial potential without accounting for processing, injection and evacuation constraints.
BW Energy estimates that the 10P2 well could recover its investment in less than a year. This estimate depends on drilling and connection costs, the first-production timetable, oil prices and achieved flow rates. It is a company forecast rather than an already realized financial result. Publication of final costs and initial volumes will allow the projected return to be assessed.
Dussafu, a central asset in BW Energy’s portfolio
The field is the Norwegian group’s most important producing asset. BW Energy holds 73.5% of the license, Panoro Energy 17.5% and Gabon Oil Company 9%. This structure brings together the operator, an independent partner and Gabon’s state-owned company. Interests determine the allocation of investment and volumes, but funding obligations and decision rights depend on joint venture agreements.
MaBoMo Phase 2 will be followed by development of the neighboring Bourdon field, where BW Energy is targeting first oil in the first quarter of 2028. Further appraisal drilling is scheduled there in 2028. Dussafu’s ramp-up and Bourdon’s development could support Gabonese production in the coming years, subject to resource confirmation and infrastructure delivery.
Bourdon’s timetable is further away, however, and does not offset MaBoMo’s delays in the short term. Investors will therefore first monitor facility availability, the actual start-up of wells and changes in BW Energy’s net volumes. Production forecasts will need to be compared with quarterly results to distinguish the contribution of new drilling from natural changes in existing wells.
Delivery indicators to monitor
The five-well program gives BW Energy a route to recovery, but its success depends on successive steps: completing drilling, installing downhole equipment, connecting wells to MaBoMo, starting production on the announced schedule and managing volumes within FPSO capacity. A delay at any one of these links can postpone the production recovery.
Upcoming announcements will need to clarify costs, individual well results, first-production dates and processing capacity actually available. If new volumes add to current output without exceeding system limits, Dussafu could return to growth. For Gabon, the stakes extend beyond BW Energy’s target: they involve sustaining offshore production and making it a durable source of revenue and local value.