Rex Secures Jackup Rig for Offshore Oman Drilling

Singapore, listed Rex International is moving forward with offshore development drilling in Oman after its subsidiary Masirah Oil secured a jackup rig for operations at the Yumna field.

Masirah Oil confirmed that its parent company, Rex Oman, has signed a contract for the Energy Emerger jackup drilling rig, operated by Northern Offshore. The rig will drill three development wells at the Yumna field in offshore Block 50, with drilling activities scheduled to begin in March 2026.

Built in 2017, the high-specification Energy Emerger jackup previously supported Masirah Oil’s 2024 drilling campaign. The upcoming work will be executed as a multi-well programme designed to enhance production and extend the operational life of the Yumna field.

Masirah Oil general manager Mike Hopkinson stated that with funding secured and the rig contracted, the company is focused on delivering the drilling programme to bring new producer wells online, increase oil flow rates, and prolong the field’s lifespan.

Masirah Oil operates Block 50 with a 100% interest in the offshore concession, which covers approximately 17,000 square kilometres in the Gulf of Masirah, east of Oman near the port of Duqm. The GA South well marked the first offshore oil discovery east of Oman in 2014, ending more than three decades of unsuccessful exploration in the region. First oil from the Yumna field was achieved in February 2020, and commerciality was declared later that year.