ABIDJAN, May 25 – Italian multinational firm Eni and its partners have approved the next development phase of the Baleine energy project in Ivory Coast, moving forward with a multibillion-dollar expansion of what remains the country’s largest hydrocarbon discovery.
The project, being developed alongside Petroci and Vitol, marks another step in Ivory Coast’s efforts to increase energy production and strengthen domestic supply capacity.
Under the new phase of development, oil production capacity is expected to rise sharply to approximately 150,000 barrels per day from current levels of around 60,000 barrels per day.
Natural gas production is also projected to increase significantly, climbing from about 80 million cubic feet per day to roughly 200 million cubic feet daily.
The expansion plan includes the deployment of an additional floating production, storage and offloading facility, commonly known as an FPSO, designed to improve operational performance while supporting efficiency and environmental objectives.
Project developers indicated that all gas produced from the field will be supplied to the domestic market, with the aim of supporting electricity generation, industrial activity and broader energy demand across the country.
The latest investment decision reinforces Ivory Coast’s ambitions to position itself as an emerging regional energy producer while reducing pressure on energy imports.
Eni has operated in Ivory Coast since 2015 and previously announced discoveries including the Baleine and Calao fields.
The third development phase is expected to enter production within approximately 32 to 36 months and carries an estimated investment value of around $4 billion.
