Eni has announced it has started production of Phase 2 from the Baleine field, marking a crucial step in the development of the Côte d'Ivoire’s offshore. Thanks to this milestone, production will reach 60 000 bpd of oil and 70 million f3 of associated gas (equivalent to 2 million m3).
Phase 2 will see the Floating Production, Storage and Offloading Unit (FPSO) Petrojarl Kong deployed alongside the Floating Storage and Offloading Unit (FSO) Yamoussoukro for the export of oil, while 100% of the processed gas will supply the local energy demand through the connection with the pipeline built during the project’s Phase 1. Eni said this achievement further consolidates Côte d'Ivoire's role as a producing country on the global energy scenario, strengthening access to energy on a national scale.
The Final Investment Decision (FID) for the project was taken in December 2022; Phase 1 was started in August 2023; in parallel, activities for Phase 2 had been carried and completed in full safety.
Baleine is the first net zero emission Upstream project (Scope 1 and 2) in Africa, made possible through the adoption of advanced technologies, which minimise the operations’ carbon footprint, and innovative initiatives developed in close collaboration with the Ivorian ministries.
Eni has been present in Côte d'Ivoire since 2015 with a current equity production of around 22 000 boe/d. The company operates 10 blocks in the Ivorian deepwaters (CI-101, CI-205, CI-401, CI-501, CI-801, CI-802, CI-504, CI-526, CI-706 and CI-708) in partnership with Petroci Holding.
With the start-up of Baleine's Phase 2 and the development of Phase 3, currently under study, total production is set to reach 150 000 bpd of oil and 200 million f3 of associated gas.