The secondary electric submersible pump (ESP) in the Avouma 2-H well on the Avouma Platform offshore Gabon has been restarted, allowing production to resume, according to VAALCO Energy Inc. (NYSE: EGY).

The well is producing at a stable rate, the company said Aug. 25 in a news release.

As previously reported, the primary ESP failed in the well. Before attempting to start the secondary ESP, VAALCO said it worked with the manufacturer and installer of the ESP to optimize the startup procedure.

The lower pump was started last week with the well producing about 1,850 barrels of oil per day (bbl/d) gross (450 bbl/d net to VAALCO), the release said. That’s down from the approximately 2,700 gross bbl/d (660 bbl/d net to VAALCO) the well was producing before the first ESP failure.

“We are conducting a detailed investigation of ESP failures encountered earlier this year on the platform and hope to restore production from two shut-in wells in the fourth quarter,” VAALCO COO Cary Bounds said in the release. “The upcoming Avouma ESP replacements will utilize a more cost effective hydraulic workover unit that is being mobilized to the platform. The ability to restart production from the Avouma 2-H validates our strategy of installing primary and secondary pumps in all of our platform wells.”

Currently, the well is flowing at a lower rate as performance of the ESP is monitored, VAALCO said.