Energy — oil & gas in Côte d'Ivoire.

Energy — oil & gas

Eni's Baleine discovery in Block CI-101, announced in 2021 and brought onstream at speed, is the anchor. Phase 1 used a converted FPSO and reached first oil in record time for the basin; Phase 2 expanded capacity and Phase 3 is being progressed. The reservoir is a clean Cenomanian sandstone with associated gas that lands ashore for power generation — a rare West African case where domestic gas demand is real and the molecule has a near-term home. Calao, a second Eni discovery on the same trend, has extended the play.

Beyond Eni, Murphy Oil operates several blocks; Vaalco (post-Svenska acquisition) has interests in Block CI-705. Petroci is the state company and holds carried interests across the producing portfolio. Fiscal terms are PSC-based and considered competitive by regional standards; the Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Energy is a workable regulator.

For a completion-technology principal the immediate question is whether Baleine's drilling sequence opens a window for foreign vendors. Eni runs most of its completions through its long-standing service-company relationships, but the gas-condensate handling, sand-control completion design and the planned subsea tie-back work generate a steady, if not large, addressable spend. Murphy's exploration-led portfolio is a smaller but more accessible buyer.