Nigeria’s crude oil production has received a fresh boost following the restart of Seplat Energy’s Yoho production platform offshore Akwa Ibom State, with the facility expected to restore about 20,000 to 25,000 barrels of oil per day.
The Yoho platform, located in Oil Mining Lease 104, had been shut down following a fire incident in September 2025 that damaged parts of the facility and halted production. Seplat subsequently embarked on extensive repair and asset integrity work to return the platform to operation.
Brandspur Brand News reports that the return of Yoho comes at a significant point for Nigeria’s oil sector, after the country recorded mixed production figures in recent months. OPEC data cited by Punch showed Nigeria’s crude output based on direct communication falling slightly from 1.505 million barrels per day in July to 1.5 million barrels per day in August, although secondary sources put August production at 1.57 million barrels per day.
Seplat had initially targeted a second quarter restart for Yoho, but the extensive restoration work extended into the third quarter. In July, the company said the platform had become mechanically complete and was entering commissioning, with management expecting it to reach full production within a few weeks of restarting.
The repairs involved substantial work on the offshore facility. Earlier in the year, Seplat said more than 60 kilometres of cabling had been replaced, alongside almost 400 piping spool replacements, as part of efforts to restore the platform and improve the reliability of its offshore operations.
The production expected from Yoho is significant for Seplat’s offshore portfolio. The company previously estimated that the platform’s return could restore roughly 20,000 barrels per day, while other industry reporting has put the potential addition at up to about 25,000 barrels per day.
Yoho forms part of Seplat’s OML 104 operations, which lie offshore south of Akwa Ibom State. The block contains the Yoho and Awawa producing fields, with crude exported through the Yoho Floating Storage and Offloading facility.
The restart also gives Seplat additional room to pursue its wider production plans. The company has been restoring previously idle wells across its offshore assets, with 24 wells returned to production during the first half of 2026 and an estimated 26,000 barrels per day of combined gross production capacity restored.
For Nigeria, the return of an asset capable of contributing tens of thousands of barrels daily comes as the country continues efforts to stabilise crude production and maximise output from existing oil fields. However, the precise effect on national production will depend on how quickly Yoho reaches and sustains its full operating capacity.
