BW Energy halts drilling in Gabon

BW Energy, a Norwegian oil company, has paused its drilling activities at the Dussafu permit in Gabon after a platform sank during preparations for the campaign. The incident involved the Prospector 5, a drilling platform owned by Borr Drilling.

Platform sinking leads to missing personnel

The Prospector 5 sank on Saturday, October 24, during operations to set up infrastructure for the drilling campaign. At the time of the incident, the platform was carrying 115 people, with 110 reported safe and five still missing as of Sunday.

Drilling campaign aimed at boosting production

The platform was part of a campaign to increase production on the Dussafu permit, which involves drilling four new producing wells as part of the second phase of the MaBoMo oil development. Each well was expected to produce about 5,000 barrels per day at startup.

BW Energy faces production disruption

The shutdown of the MaBoMo facility comes as BW Energy, which holds a 73.5 percent stake in the Dussafu permit, was preparing a new growth phase. In the third quarter, Dussafu contributed 16,800 net barrels per day to BW Energy’s production.

No environmental damage reported

BW Energy and its partners, Panoro Energy and Gabon Oil Company, confirmed that no damage to the installation or accidental discharge of harmful substances into the sea had been reported following the incident.

Dussafu permit includes multiple fields

The Dussafu permit includes several producing fields, such as Tortue, Hibiscus, Hibiscus South, and Ruche. The MaBoMo oil is transported to the FPSO vessel BW Adolo, which handles processing and storage before evacuation to the markets.

Bourdon discovery adds to future plans

BW Energy announced a discovery on the Bourdon field in March 2025, with plans to develop it through three producing wells and expect first oil production in the first quarter of 2028. The company also extended the Dussafu license until 2053 to support ongoing projects.

Search and investigation ongoing

BW Energy has not announced a new schedule for the drilling campaign following the incident. Search operations and technical investigations continue with Gabonese authorities, rescue teams, and the involved companies.