Eni has just announced the discovery of oil in Block CI-101, offshore Côte d’Ivoire, which it shares with Petroci Holding.
This is good news for both the company and the country, which has been without a new discovery for 20 years.
Eni discovers the Whale-1x well
The global energy giant has just discovered an oil well, drilled on the Baleine prospect.
The company operated with the support of the Ivorian government. Baleine-1x discovered light oil (40° API) at two different stratigraphic levels.
The well was drilled some 60 kilometers off the coast, at a water depth of around 1,200 meters.
Using the Saipem 10000 drillship, the well reached a total depth of 3445 meters in 30 days.
An estimated potential of between 1.5 and 2 billion barrels of oil
Eni holds 90% of Block CI-101 in the exploration phase, with the remainder belonging to Petroci Holding.
To assess the significant upside potential of the overall structure extending into Block CI-802, the firms will carry out an appraisal program.
It should be noted that the second block in question is operated by the same companies, with the same interests.
The Baleine-1x well was located on the basis of a comprehensive analysis of a wide range of 3D seismic data and regional studies in the Côte d’Ivoire sedimentary basin.
The application of state-of-the-art technology, including smart wireline formation testing and fluid sampling, proved the presence of light oil-bearing intervals of Santonian and Cenomanian/Albian age.
In parallel with the appraisal program, Eni and Petroci Holding will also initiate studies for an accelerated development of the Baleine discovery.
The potential of the discovery can be preliminarily estimated at between 1.5 and 2 billion barrels of oil in place and between 1.8 and 2.4 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of associated gas.
The energy leader awaits the news
Baleine-1x is the first exploration well drilled by Eni in Côte d’Ivoire.
However, Eni has interests in four other blocks in Côte d’Ivoire’s deep waters: CI-205, CI-501, CI-504 and CI-802.
All with the same partner Petroci Holding.
Industrial exploration in the country’s deep waters had gone more than 20 years without a commercial discovery.
This, since the last hydrocarbon discovery in 2001.
Now, the Baleine-1x well in Block CI-101 has successfully tested a new concept of play in the sedimentary basin of Côte d’Ivoire.
