Santorini drillship (Credit: Saipem)
Eni has made a significant gas and condensate discovery offshore Ivory Coast after drilling the Murene South-1X well in Block CI-501, confirming the potential of the Calao channel complex.
The discovery, named Calao South, is estimated to contain up to 5.0 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of gas and 450 million barrels of condensate, equivalent to approximately 1.4 billion barrels of oil.
It represents the country’s second-largest discovery after Baleine.
Murene South-1X is the first exploration well drilled in Block CI-501, which is operated by Eni with a 90% stake in partnership with Petroci Holding (10%).
The well is located about 8 km southwest of the Murene-1X discovery in the adjacent CI-205 block.
The well was drilled by the Saipem Santorini drillship to a total depth of around 5,000 meters in water depths of approximately 2,200 meters.
It encountered high-quality Cenomanian sands and confirmed a main hydrocarbon-bearing interval with a gross thickness of about 50 meters, characterized by excellent petrophysical properties.
The well will undergo a full conventional drill stem test (DST) to assess production capacity, Eni said.
The discovery adds to Ivory Coast’s growing offshore portfolio. The Baleine field is currently producing more than 62,000 barrels of oil and over 75 million cubic feet of gas per day from Phases 1 and 2. With Phase 3, output is expected to rise to 150,000 barrels of oil and 200 million cubic feet of gas per day.
Eni has been active in the West African country since 2015 and holds interests in nine additional exploration blocks alongside Block CI-501.
