Eni makes Côte d’Ivoire’s second-largest hydrocarbons discovery

Côte d’Ivoire

ABIDJAN, February 16, 2026 – Eni has made Côte d’Ivoire’s second-largest hydrocarbons find with a discovery in its Murene South-1X exploration well in Block CI-501, the company said on Monday.

The Calao South find is the second-largest hydrocarbons discovery in the country after Baleine, with an estimated 142 bcm (5 tcf) of gas and 450 million barrels of condensate. The well, drilled in 2,200 metres of water by the Saipem Santorini, confirmed high-quality Cenomanian sands and a main hydrocarbon-bearing interval of around 50 metres. A conventional drill stem test is planned to evaluate its productivity.

Block CI-501 is operated by Eni (90%) in partnership with Petroci Holding (10%). The well lies 8 kilometres from Murene-1X in CI-205.

Eni has operated in Côte d’Ivoire since 2015 and currently holds interests in 10 blocks, including the Baleine oilfield, which produces over 62,000 barrels of oil and 2.12 mcm (75 mcf) of gas per day. With Phase 3 of Baleine, output is projected to reach 150,000 barrels of oil and 5.66 mcm (200 mcf) of gas per day.

Eni is a global energy company based in Italy with operations in more than 60 countries. In West Africa, it is expanding its upstream portfolio, focusing on deepwater exploration and development, particularly in Côte d’Ivoire and Angola.

Photo courtesy of Eni

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