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2025
No significant news in 2025.
2024
Dec 2024: Eni started production of Phase 2 at the Baleine field in Block CI-101/802 boosting production to 60,000 bbls of oil per day of oil and 0.72 bcm per year of associated gas. The Petrojarl Kong FPSO has been installed alongside the Yamoussoukro FSO.
Nov 2024: Eni and the Ministry of Mines, Oil and Energy signed contracts for offshore blocks CI-504, CI-526, CI-706 and CI-708 covering a total area of 5,720 sq kms with a water depth from 1,000 to 3,500m close to the Calao discovery in Block CI-205. ENI already operates 6 blocks in the deep waters (with Petroci Holding) including the producing Baleine field.
2023
Aug 2023: Eni started production from the Baleine field in Block CI-101/802 through the Baleine FPSO at up to 15,000 bbls of oil per day and around 0.26 bcm a year of gas. Phase 2 by end-2024 will increase production to 50,000 bopd and 0.72 bcm followed by a 3rd phase to 150,000 bopd and 2 bcm. Gas is delivered to shore via a newly built export pipeline.
2022
Dec 2022: Eni plans early production from the deepwater Baleine discovery at the end of 2023. The phased fast-track development in block CI101 holds estimated in-place resources of 2 bn bbls of oil and 68 bcm of gas.
Jul 2022: Eni (operator, 90%) and Petroci Holding (10%) drilled and tested oil and gas in the Baleine West-1X appraisal well in 1,150m of water delivering a 25% increase to the field’s reserves. It is the 1st well in block CI-802 and the second discovery on the Baleine structure. First oil is expected in 1H 2023.
Apr 2022: BW Offshore has entered into a short-term extension for FPSO Espoir Ivoirien in order to finalise terms for a further extension. The FPSO operates on the CNR-operated Espoir field, East and West reservoirs and started production in 2002 with a capacity of 45,000 bbls per day.
Feb 2022: Eni plans early production from the deepwater Baleine discovery to begin at the end of 2023. Baleine, in block CI101, holds estimated in-place resources of 2 bn bbls of oil and 68 bcm of associated gas.
2021
Sep 2021: Eni (operator, 90%) and Petroci Holding (10%) announced a light oil discovery in Block CI-101 in 1,200 meters of water. The Baleine-1x well discovered oil in two intervals of Santonian and Cenomanian/Albian age. The structure extends into Block CI-802 and Eni will start studies for a fast-track development. The last hydrocarbon discovery in the country was in 2001.
Aug 2021: PGS, with PetroCi and Direction Générale des Hydrocarbures, completed Phase 2 of the offshore MegaSurvey adding 9,897 sq kms of 3D and 24,632 kms of 2D seismic over the western Tano basin. It is along-strike to Eni’s Eban-1X near-field discovery which found light oil in an 80m section of Cenomanian sandstones.
2020
May 2020: Qatar Petroleum has farmed-in a 45% interest in Blocks CI-705 and CI-706 in the Ivorian-Tano basin. Total is the operator. The blocks cover an area of 3,200 sq kms in water depths from 1,000 to 2,000m, 100 kms from the Foxtrot, Espoir and Baobab fields.
2019
May 2019: The Government has awarded 4 offshore oil and gas blocks. Total will operate Blocks CI-705 and CI-706 and ENI will operate CI-501 and CI-504 with investment of US$90mm from Total and US$95mm from ENI during the exploration period.
April 2019: PGS’s offshore MegaSurvey is now available to assess the prospectivity of western open blocks. The survey covers an area over 23,000 sq kms encompassing shelf to deep waters from the most westerly open block (CI-700) to productive areas around CI-205.
Mar 2019: The country will conclude the licensing of 6 blocks by June 2019 and is now in talks with Total and ENI. There are 48 demarcated oil blocks of which 4 are in production and 24 under exploration. The government would also like to increase participation of local companies.
2018
No significant news in 2018.
2017
Oct 2017: A new licensing round will offer 22 blocks (21 offshore) for exploration. There is no time limit but the government wish to carry it out quickly and efficiently, negotiating with interested parties directly unless several express interest in a block, triggering a bidding process.
Oct 2017: Tullow has acquired 90% stakes in 4 onshore blocks with Petroci holding the remaining 10%. The blocks (CI 518, CI519, CI301 and CI302) lie on the coast mostly to the west of Abidjan. The blocks have multiple oil seeps and past production from the Eboinda Oil Sands.
Mar 2017: Eni (90%, operator) has obtained an interest in 2 new exploration blocks. The deep offshore blocks, CI-101 and CI-205, are in the east of the Tano basin, where Eni already operates. Petroci holds the remaining 10%.
2016
Nov 2016: Ivory Coast LNG led by Total has been awarded the rights to build and operate a floating LNG re-gasification terminal with a capacity of 3 mmtpa off Abidjan. The terminal is expected to become operational by mid 2018.
Sep 2016: RAK announced completion of a 4-year, US$850 mm development of the Marlin and Manta gas fields by Foxtrot (operator, 24%) in Block CI-27. A platform has been installed in 110m of water and 1 exploration and 7 production wells have been drilled. The first platform has operated since 1999 from the Foxtrot and Mahi fields. Partners are Petroci (40%), SECI (24%) and ENERCI (12%).
May 2016: Anadarko (operator, 65%) has discovered oil at its horizontal deepwater appraisal well, Paon-5A, in block CI-103. It plans to drill the Paon-3AR sidetrack well in Q2 2016 followed by a testing program. Anadarko made the Paon discovery in 2012 in an Upper Cretaceous fan system. The Pelican (CI-527) and Rossignol (CI-528) exploration wells are planned for drilling after Paon.
Jan 2016: Lukoil is abandoning its projects in the Gulf of Guinea where it has been operating since 2006 at the CI-401, CI-205 and CI-504 blocks.
2015
Mar 2015: The Marlin North-1 well in 65m of water on Block CI-27 flowed gas and oil. Foxtrot International is operator (27.5%) with RAK, Petroci and SECI. Development of the Marlin oil and gas and Manta gas field is also on track with development wells commencing in July. The first platform on the block has been in operation since 1999 tied to the Foxtrot and Mahi fields.
2014
Dec 2014: Vioco Petroleum has signed an Exclusive Exploitation Authorisation (EEA) covering the offshore Gazelle field in Block CI-202 following approval of the Field Development Plan by Petroci; the state oil company. First gas is anticipated in the second half of 2016.
Dec 2014: Exxon Mobil has signed PSCs for 2 ultra deep water blocks in the Gulf of Guinea; CI-602 and CI-603 in water depths from 3 to 4,000m. The exploration period is 9 years. The country is seeking investors for 7 new ultra deep water blocks. AGR Group is negotiating for a PSC over the CI-101 and CI-524 blocks and Total for CI-605.
Oct 2014: Investors will be sought for offshore blocks including 7 ultra deep water blocks between 3,000 and 4,000 metres and several between 50 and 1,000 m. The oil ministry signed 18 PSCs in 18 months in 2012 and 2013. Companies currently exploring include Anadarko, Tullow, Total, Lukoil, CNR, Afren, Africa Petroleum and Taleveras.
Apr 2014: The Saphir-1XB exploration well on Block CI-514 has proved the presence of oil in 2,300m of water off the west of the country. This is the first discovery in the San Pedro Basin. Total, the operator plans two wells in Blocks CI-515 and CI-516 before 2015. Total has a 54% interest, alongside CNR (36%) and PETROCI (10%).
Mar 2014: PGS is acquiring 2,300 sq kms of multi-client 3D seismic data over blocks CI-506 and CI-507 covering part of the western offshore; a frontier area within the Atlantic Equatorial Transform Margin. PGS has also recently completed the acquisition of 1,500 sq kms of multi-client 3D data over blocks CI-12 and CI-501.
2013
Dec 2013: Tullow has announced that the Paon-2A appraisal well in the CI-103 licence has not encountered oil. Paon-2A was located 15kms SW of the Autruche oil discovery made by the Paon-1X well in 2012. The Seadrill West Leo semi-sub drilled the well in water depths of 2,366m. Tullow (30%) is operator with Anadarko (55%) and Petroci (15%).
Nov 2013: Total and Anadarko will drill exploration wells on ultra deep water blocks CI-514, CI-515 and CI-516 in 2014. Total announced the Ivoire-1X oil discovery in April 2013 on block CI-100.
Apr 2013: Total has announced that the Ivoire-1X exploration well, in the west of Block CI-100 in 2,280m of water, encountered 28m of net light oil pay in Cretaceous reservoirs. Ivoire-1X is the first well drilled on the block. Total is operator with 60% along with Yam’s Petroleum (25%) and Petroci Holding (15%).
Feb 2013: Lukoil will spend US$400 mm in 2013 drilling near the Independence oil discovery in Block CI-401. Lukoil (56.66%) and Vanco (28.34%) discovered Independence in late 2011 in 1689m of water and estimate reserves of around 300 mm bbls. State-owned Petroci holds the remaining 15%. Lukoil is carrying out exploration in three offshore blocks in Cote d’Ivoire.
Jan 2013: FMC has received an order from CNR for subsea equipment for the Baobab field located in Block CI-40 approximately 25 kms offshore. FMC's scope of supply includes 6 subsea trees, 8 wellheads, 3 manifolds, and a subsea control system, including subsea distribution systems and associated topside control systems. The equipment is scheduled for delivery in 2014. CNR operates Block CI-40 with Svenska and Petroci, the Ivorian National Oil Co.
Jan 2013: Cote D’Ivoire hopes to raise oil output to 200,000 bbls per day in 5 years from 32,000 in 2012. Exploration has risen since Ghana discovered the Jubilee field in 2007. Vanco found oil on Block CI-401 in Dec 2012, 6 months after Tullow struck oil on Block CI-103. (Globalshift notes: 200,000 bbls per day in 5 years seems ambitious but is achievable over a longer period). Output has fallen due to technical problems and low levels of investment during the political turmoil that ended in a 2011 civil war. The country has signed 14 PSCs since the end of the war and 3 deals for gas fields.
West Africa
