Drydocks World secures contract to upgrade Baobab MV10 offshore platform

Drydocks World has secured a contract to extend the operational life of the Baobab MV10 offshore platform in Côte d’Ivoire by 15 years through refurbishment and upgrade works.

Share:

Comprehensive energy news coverage, updated nonstop

Annual subscription

8.25$/month*

*billed annually at 99$/year for the first year then 149,00$/year ​

Unlimited access • Archives included • Professional invoice

OTHER ACCESS OPTIONS

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2$/month*
then 14.90$ per month thereafter

FREE ACCOUNT

3 articles offered per month

FREE

*Prices are excluding VAT, which may vary depending on your location or professional status

Since 2021: 35,000 articles • 150+ analyses per week

The Baobab MV10 oil platform, located off the Ivorian coast, is set to enter a new operational phase following a temporary shutdown for maintenance announced in late January. On Monday 24 March, Drydocks World, a Dubai-based company specialising in maritime and offshore services, confirmed it had won the contract to refurbish and extend the lifespan of this critical infrastructure.

The Baobab oil field, which has already delivered a significant share of its resources, will see its capacity extended by an additional 15 years through a structured rehabilitation programme. The planned works include the replacement of 1,000 tonnes of steel, coating of 250,000 square metres of tanks, and installation of 11,500 metres of new pipelines. These measures aim to ensure the technical and operational longevity of the floating production, storage and offloading unit (FPSO).

Accelerated schedule for operations resumption

According to Drydocks World, the project will also involve improving living quarters for the crew and integrating advanced technologies to enhance the FPSO’s reliability. This optimisation programme, led by Vaalco Energy, one of the companies operating the site, is scheduled to begin in May. Operations will follow an expedited eight-month timeline, with the objective of resuming production promptly. No financial details regarding the contract have been disclosed.

With a processing capacity of 70,000 barrels of crude oil and 75 million cubic feet of gas per day, the MV10 platform remains a strategic asset in Côte d’Ivoire’s energy supply. The extension of its production phase is expected to bolster the country’s energy output and its regional export capacity.

Context of oil infrastructure expansion

The African Development Bank (AfDB) projects Côte d’Ivoire’s real GDP growth to average 7% over 2024-2025. This growth is partly driven by investments in energy infrastructure, including the Baobab and Baleine oil fields. The development of these facilities is part of a broader national strategy to expand oil sector capabilities.

Citizen Energy Ventures enters the private placement market with a $20mn fund to develop eight wells in the Cherokee Formation of Oklahoma’s historic Anadarko Basin.
Lukoil has started divesting its foreign assets following new US oil sanctions, a move that could reshape its overseas presence and impact supply in key European markets.
Kazakhstan is reviewing Lukoil's stakes in major oil projects after the Russian group announced plans to divest its international assets following new US sanctions.
The Mexican state-owned company reduced its crude extraction by 6.7% while boosting its refining activity by 4.8%, and narrowed its financial losses compared to the previous year.
The new US licence granted to Chevron significantly alters financial flows between Venezuela and the United States, affecting the local currency, oil revenues and the country's economic balance.
Three Crown Petroleum reports a steady initial flow rate of 752 barrels of oil equivalent per day from its Irvine 1NH well in the Powder River Basin, marking a key step in its horizontal drilling programme in the Niobrara.
Cenovus Energy adjusts its MEG Energy acquisition offer to $30 per share and signs a voting support agreement with Strathcona Resources, while selling assets worth up to CAD150mn.
Iraq is negotiating a potential revision of its OPEC production limit while maintaining exports at around 3.6 million barrels per day despite significantly higher capacity.
Le Premier ministre hongrois se rendra à Washington pour discuter avec Donald Trump des sanctions américaines contre le pétrole russe, dans un contexte de guerre en Ukraine et de dépendance persistante de la Hongrie aux hydrocarbures russes.
Nigerian tycoon Aliko Dangote plans to expand his refinery’s capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day, reshaping regional energy dynamics through an unmatched private-sector project in Africa.
COOEC has signed a $4bn EPC contract with QatarEnergy to develop the offshore Bul Hanine oil field, marking the largest order ever secured by a Chinese company in the Gulf.
The group terminates commitments for the Odin and Hild rigs in Mexico, initially scheduled through November 2025 and March 2026, due to sanctions affecting an involved counterparty, while reaffirming compliance with applicable international frameworks.
Shell has filed an appeal against the cancellation of its environmental authorisation for Block 5/6/7 off the South African coast, aiming to continue exploration in a geologically strategic offshore zone.
The Greek government has selected a consortium led by Chevron to explore hydrocarbons in four maritime zones in the Ionian Sea and south of Crete, with geophysical surveys scheduled to begin in 2026.
Algerian company Sonatrach has resumed exploration activities in Libya's Ghadames Basin, halted since 2014, as part of a strategic revival of the country's oil sector.
The Indian refiner segments campaigns, strengthens documentary traceability and adjusts contracts to secure certified shipments to the European Union, while redirecting ineligible volumes to Africa and the Americas based on market conditions.
US authorities have authorised a unit at Talen Energy’s Wagner plant in Maryland to operate beyond regulatory limits until the end of 2025 to strengthen grid reliability.
Gran Tierra Energy has signed a crude oil sale agreement with a $200mn prepayment and amended its Colombian credit facility to improve financial flexibility.
Operations at BP’s 440,000 barrel-per-day Whiting refinery have resumed following a temporary shutdown caused by a power outage and a minor fire incident.
The European Union targets a trading subsidiary and a refinery linked to China National Petroleum Corporation, tightening access to financial and insurance services without disrupting pipeline deliveries, with reallocations expected in settlements, insurance, and logistics. —

All the latest energy news, all the time

Annual subscription

8.25$/month*

*billed annually at 99$/year for the first year then 149,00$/year ​

Unlimited access - Archives included - Pro invoice

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2$/month*
then 14.90$ per month thereafter

*Prices shown are exclusive of VAT, which may vary according to your location or professional status.

Since 2021: 30,000 articles - +150 analyses/week.