New Major Hydrocarbon Discovery Announced on CI-501 Block in Côte d’Ivoire

A new commercial hydrocarbon discovery has been announced in the Ivorian sedimentary basin following exploration activities conducted by Eni in partnership with the national oil company PETROCI Holding on offshore block CI-501.

According to an official statement from the Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Energy, the discovery — named CALAO South — follows the drilling of the Murène South-1X exploration well. The well reached a total depth of 5,058 meters, including a water depth of approximately 2,200 meters.

Exploration results revealed the presence of light oil, natural gas, and condensates. The Murène South-1X well is located about 8 kilometers southwest of the Murène-1X well on block CI-205.

At the current stage of evaluation, total resources in place identified across blocks CI-501 and CI-205 are estimated at around 1.4 billion barrels of oil equivalent. Authorities say this new discovery further strengthens the country’s natural gas potential, particularly for electricity generation.

The statement was signed in Abidjan by the Minister of Mines, Petroleum and Energy, Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly, highlighting continued momentum in the hydrocarbons sector in Côte d’Ivoire.