Italian supermajor Eni announced Tuesday it has signed contracts for a pair of new exploration blocks in the eastern part of the sedimentary basin offshore Ivory Coast. The two blocks were among 20 available at the end of 2018.
The two blocks, CI-501 and CI-504, are located at about 30 kilometers from the coastline and cover a total area of about 911 square kilometers. Block CI-501 (512 square kilometers) is located 80 kilometers southwest of the capital Abidjan at between 100 and 2,400 meters water depth, while block CI-504 (399 square kilometers) is about 60 kilometers southwest of the capital and at between 1,000 and 2,350 meters water depth.
Eni is operator in both blocks with a 90% stake, while the state company Petroci holds the remaining 10%. The two blocks are adjacent to the north of Block CI-205, already operated by Eni (Eni 90%, Petroci 10%). Due to their geological continuity, the blocks will be studied in synergy, utilizing Eni’s proprietary technologies, with cost optimization and facilitating time-to-market in the event of a petroleum discovery and commercial development.