A large oil field discovered off the coast of Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire now produces around 36,000 barrels per day.
A very modest figure compared to other oil producers on the continent.
© REUTERS / Brendan McDermid
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
The Ivorian government has announced a major discovery of oil and natural gas.
The deposit is 1,200 meters deep and 60 km offshore, near the border with Ghana.
The two operating companies of the oil block are the Italian company Eni and the national company Petroci Holding.
Eni announces that this is the second discovery in deep water after a first 20 years ago in Côte d'Ivoire.
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This is a "
major discovery
" for the Minister of Mines, Oil and Energy.
Thomas Camara gives a first estimate of the reserves discovered: between 1.5 billion and 2 billion barrels of crude oil.
Regarding the volume of gas, there would be between 1,800 to 2,400 billion cubic feet.
President Alassane Ouattara is also delighted on Twitter: “
Great prospects for oil and gas production in the years to come.
"
I welcome this important discovery of crude oil and natural gas in the sedimentary basin of our country.
Good prospects for oil and gas production in the years to come.
pic.twitter.com/2ZtmdlucRS
- Alassane Ouattara (@AOuattara_PRCI) September 1, 2021
These estimates are indeed "
good news for Côte d'Ivoire
" according to Philippe Sébille Lopez, an expert in the geopolitics of hydrocarbons.
The country now produces around 36,000 barrels per day.
A very modest figure compared to other oil producers on the continent.
The discovery remains to be taken with caution, however.
The exploration phase is still ongoing.
It is therefore not yet possible to know how much oil will really be recoverable.
Last element, the company Eni holds 90% of the shares against 10% for the national company Petroci Holding.
So this is not only good news for Côte d'Ivoire ...
For Eni, this is a significant discovery.
For Côte d'Ivoire, it came at the right time because they have been trying to increase their level of production for a long time and it has peaked at around 36,000 barrels per day while they wait 40-45 000 per day.
Philippe Sébille Lopez of the Geopolia firm, expert in the geopolitics of hydrocarbons and energy
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Ivory Coast
Oil
Energies