Abidjan, Jan 16 Cote d'Ivoire's oil and gas production is expected to rise to a total of 75,000 to 85,000 barrels per day of crude oil from the current output of 30,000 barrels per day following the "successful" start of production in phase 2 of the Baleine field, the government said.
"The cumulative production from phases 1 and 2 of Baleine is projected to reach a total of 75,000 to 85,000 barrels per day of crude oil and 80 to 85 million cubic feet of natural gas," said government spokesperson Amadou Coulibaly after a cabinet meeting in Abidjan.
On December 28, the Italian company ENI and its local partner PETROCI commenced production in phase 2 of the Baleine field offshore Cote d'Ivoire, which followed the start of phase 1 production in August 2023, with an initial output of 22,000 barrels of crude oil per day and 10 million cubic feet of natural gas.
"The crude oil output from phase 2 is expected to range from 50,000 to 60,000 barrels per day, compared to the initially planned 35,000 barrels, representing an increase of 43 per cent to 72 percent," the spokesperson said.
"In terms of natural gas, production is anticipated to be between 50 and 60 million cubic feet per day, exceeding the forecast of 40 million, reflecting an increase of 25 percent to 50 percent," he added.
According to Coulibaly, the insights gained from phases 1 and 2 will help refine studies for phase 3, with a final investment decision expected by the end of 2025.
The projected output from phase 3 is anticipated to elevate total production from the Baleine field to 150,000 barrels of crude oil per day and 200 million cubic feet of natural gas, Xinhua news agency reported.
"This significant advancement highlights Cote d'Ivoire's commitment to establishing the extractive and energy resources sector as a pillar for sustained and sustainable growth," Coulibaly said.
The Baleine field is estimated to have a total production potential of 2.5 billion barrels of oil and nearly 3,300 billion cubic feet of associated gas.
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