Côte d’Ivoire: Eni Moves Forward with FPSO Construction for Baleine Oil Field

Italian energy giant Eni has taken a major step forward in the development of the Baleine offshore oil field in Côte d’Ivoire. The company has awarded Altera Infrastructure the construction and operation of a new floating production vessel for the third phase of the project.

The two companies signed key agreements on Friday, July 3, covering the design, construction, installation and commissioning of the facility, as well as a 15-year operation and maintenance contract, according to Offshore Energy.

The new vessel, known as a Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) unit, will be built in China by Wison New Energies. It will be capable of producing 90,000 barrels of crude oil per day, storing up to 1.4 million barrels, and processing 160 million cubic feet of natural gas daily.

The third phase follows the Final Investment Decision (FID) taken in May, representing a total investment of US$4 billion, according to Agence Ecofin. The project is operated by Eni alongside Petroci Holding, Côte d’Ivoire’s national oil company, and Swiss commodities trader Vitol, which acquired a stake in September 2025. Azerbaijan’s state-owned energy company SOCAR has also secured a participation in the project.

Once combined with the first two development phases, the expansion is expected to increase Baleine’s total production capacity to around 150,000 barrels of oil and 200 million cubic feet of gas per day. This represents significant growth compared with the field’s initial production of 20,000 barrels per day when operations began in August 2023.

Eni has also confirmed that all gas produced from the field will be supplied to the Ivorian domestic market, supporting electricity generation and industrial development.

A Strategic Project for Côte d’Ivoire’s Energy Future

The agreement highlights Côte d’Ivoire’s growing role in West Africa’s oil and gas sector. The country is working toward achieving universal access to electricity by 2030, compared with an electrification rate of around 64% at the end of 2023, according to its National Energy Pact published in 2025.

With electricity demand rising rapidly due to sustained economic growth and industrial expansion, the Baleine project is expected to play a key role in strengthening the country’s energy security.

For Altera Infrastructure, the contract extends an existing partnership with Eni on the Baleine field, where the company is already operating two vessels as part of Phase 2. Its offshore activities were acquired by U.S. investment firm Carlyle in September 2025.

The new FPSO is expected to enter service within 32 to 36 months following the May 2026 Final Investment Decision, placing the start of production between January and May 2029.

With its scale and strategic importance, the Baleine expansion reinforces Côte d’Ivoire’s ambition to become a leading energy hub in West Africa.