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Production from the Baleine oil field in Ivory Coast is imminent. This field is expected to produce more than 2 billion barrels of crude oil and more than 2,400 to 3,300 billion cubic feet of natural gas in two phases. The ENI consortium, an Italian multinational oil and gas company, and Petroci, the Ivorian national oil company, jointly operate and manage the field for the exploration, development and production of hydrocarbons in the region.
The first phase, scheduled to begin in 2023, will represent 15% of the field’s total production, while the second phase is expected to last 30 years.
Recent drilling in Baleine E1X has revealed even greater reserves of oil and gas in the adjacent block, bringing the total estimated quantities to approximately 2.5 billion barrels of oil and 3.3 trillion cubic feet of gas, surpassing the previous projections of 25%.
According to Ivorian authorities, an FPSO vessel named Baleine left Dubai on April 6 bound for Ivory Coast to begin production, eighteen months after the commercial discovery of the Baleine field. The vessel has a processing capacity of 15,000 barrels/day of crude oil, a storage capacity of 650,000 barrels, an unloading capacity of 520,000 barrels, produced water treatment of 7,600 barrels/day and a draft of 5.5 meters.
On April 6 in Dubai, Ivory Coast’s Minister of Mines, Oil and Energy, Mamadou Sangafowa Coulibaly, highlighted the rapid progress of the Baleine project which required significant investments in the country, including drilling of three production wells in the field which are almost complete. Additionally, an 80 km hydrocarbon transportation pipeline was installed, and the FPSO was renovated to meet operational requirements. Sangafowa Coulibaly has encouraged key industry players to explore the vast potential of Ivory Coast’s sedimentary basin, saying there are many more “Whales” to be discovered in the country. The upcoming MSGBC 2023 conference , which brings together key players in the oil and gas sector, provides an opportunity for continued exploration and investment in Ivory Coast’s thriving energy landscape.
Historically, Ivory Coast has maintained a relatively moderate level of hydrocarbon production, averaging around 30,000 barrels per day. However, with the Baleine field’s imminent exploitation phase, the country’s crude oil production is expected to increase by 50% in the short term, heralding a transformative change.
Additionally, Ivory Coast stands to benefit from associated natural gas, which can be used to fuel its power plants, thereby strengthening the country’s energy security and sustainability. These considerable developments also have the potential to foster regional collaboration, as similar offshore projects are underway in the MSGBC basin, notably in Mauritania and Senegal. The upcoming annual MSGBC Oil, Gas, and Power energy industry event in Nouakchott, Mauritania, to be held on November 21-22, presents an unprecedented opportunity for producers, local suppliers and buyers of come together, exchange and create meaningful partnerships in the dynamic landscape of the region.
