Wedoany.com Report-Dec 31, Eni on Saturday successfully started production of Phase 2 at its Baleine field offshore Ivory Coast, which will boost production at the asset to 60,000 barrels per day of oil 70 million cubic feet per day of associated gas.
Phase 2 sees the Petrojarl Kong floating production, storage and offloading vessel deployed alongside the floating storage and offloading facility Yamoussoukro for the export of oil, while 100% of the processed gas will supply the local market through connection with the pipeline constructed during Baleine Phase 1.
This achievement further consolidates Ivory Coast’s role as a producing country on the global energy stage, strengthening access to energy on a national scale, noted Eni.
The rapid development of Baleine Phase 2 confirms our excellent time-to-market, enhanced also by the renovation and reuse of two FPSO and FSO, the operator said.
Eni in December 2022 took the final investment decision for the project. Phase 1 commenced in August 2023 and, in parallel, activities for Phase 2 were safely performed and completed.
With start-up of Baleine Phase 2 and the development of Phase 3, which is currently being studied, total output at the offshore field is set to reach 150,000 bpd of oil and 200 MMcfd of associated gas, further consolidating Ivory Coast’s role as a regional energy hub and strengthening strategic collaboration with the local partner, Eni said on Saturday.
Baleine is the first net zero emissions upstream project (Scope 1 and 2) in Africa, made possible through the adoption of advanced technologies, which minimise the operational carbon footprint, and innovative initiatives developed in close collaboration with the Ivorian ministries.
These include the improved cookstoves’ distribution programme (clean cooking programme), which leverages the local production and has already benefited more than 575,000 people in vulnerable conditions, and the initiative to protect and restore 14 classified forests, both contributing to the project’s carbon neutrality.
In addition, a wide range of initiatives in the areas of vocational training, education, health and economic diversification enrich Eni's collaboration with the country.
The Italian energy company has been present in Ivory Coast since 2015 with a current equity production of around 22,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. Eni 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.
