Singapore-listed Rex International is pressing ahead with offshore development drilling in Oman after its unit Masirah Oil secured a jackup rig for work at the Yumna field.
Masirah Oil said its parent company, Rex Oman, has signed a contract for the Energy Emerger jackup drilling rig, operated by Northern Offshore. The unit will be used to drill three development wells at the Yumna field in offshore Block 50, with operations expected to start in March 2026.
The Energy Emerger is a high-specification, 2017-built jackup and was also deployed during Masirah Oil’s 2024 drilling campaign. The upcoming programme will be carried out as a multi-well operation aimed at boosting production and extending the field’s operating life.
“With funding and the rig now in place, we are focused on executing this drilling programme to drill new producer wells, increase oil flow rates and extend the lifespan of the Yumna field,” Masirah Oil general manager Mike Hopkinson said.
Masirah Oil is the operator of Block 50 and holds a 100% interest in the offshore concession, which spans around 17,000 sq km in the Gulf of Masirah, east of Oman and close to the port of Duqm. The GA South well delivered the first offshore oil discovery east of Oman in 2014, ending more than 30 years of exploration without success in the area. First oil from the Yumna field followed in February 2020, with commerciality declared later that year.
