Italian energy group Eni said it had made a giant oil discovery in offshore Ivory Coast which could hold as much as 2 billion barrels of oil. It said in a statement it had found light oil in block CI-101, adding there could be 1.5-2.0 billion barrels of oil in place and 1.8-2.4 trillion cubic feet of associated gas. “An evaluation program will be carried out to assess the significant upside potential of the overall structure that extends into block CI-802, also operated by Eni,” the company said. Baleine-1x is the first exploration well drilled in the Ivory Coast by Eni which has stakes in four other blocks in the Ivorian deep water. Ivory Coast has 51 identified oil fields. Of those, only four are in production whereas 26 remain in exploration and 21 are untapped. Eni is one of Africa’s biggest foreign oil and gas producers with prize assets in Libya, Nigeria and Angola. It is developing two bumper gas discoveries in Mozambique and Egypt.
SOURCE: DEUTSCHE WELLE