Africa’s ‘first net zero emission upstream project’ starts its next oil & gas chapter

Italy’s energy giant Eni has kicked off production from the second stage of its oil and gas development off the coast of Côte d’Ivoire, which is said to be the largest discovery in this country and the first net-zero upstream project, in terms of Scope 1 and 2 emissions, on the African continent. Further expansion is also being pursued to add the third chapter to the Italian giant’s Baleine story.

Eni, which made the two largest discoveries to date in Côte d’Ivoire, Baleine and Calao, has put all pieces in place to boost its production levels by launching the Baleine Phase 2 on December 28, 2024, just one year after the start-up of Baleine Phase 1. Bringing Phase 2 online is said to mark a crucial step in the development of the Côte d’Ivoire’s offshore resources, enabling production to reach 60,000 barrels of oil per day and 70 million cubic feet of associated gas, which is equivalent to 2 million cubic meters.

Thanks to Phase 2, the floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) Petrojarl Kong is being deployed alongside the floating storage and offloading (FSO) Yamoussoukro for the export of oil, while 100% of the processed gas will supply the local energy demand through the connection with the pipeline built during the project’s Phase 1. This is seen as a further consolidation of Côte d’Ivoire’s role as a producing country on the global energy scene, strengthening access to energy on a national scale.

Chris Brett, President of Altera Infrastructure Production, underlined: “This is a significant milestone for Altera’s first entry into West Africa, a region that continues to see high demand for FPSO developments. Altera’s new established base in Abidjan will be the operational centre for the FPSO and FSO. We aim to actively contribute and remain dedicated to the long-term growth and development of a thriving industry in the area.”

Altera Infrastructure secured 15-year contracts in October 2023 to redeploy the FPSO Voyageur Spirit, recently rebranded to Petrojarl Kong, and the Nordic Brasilia shuttle tanker, converted into an FSO and renamed Yamoussoukro, for work on the Baleine Phase 2 project. The rapid development of Phase 2 is perceived to confirm Eni’s “excellent” time-to-market period, enhanced by the renovation and reuse of the two units.

The Italian energy giant explained: “Baleine is the first net zero emission upstream project (Scope 1 and 2) in Africa, made possible through the adoption of advanced technologies, which minimize the operations’ carbon footprint, and innovative initiatives developed in close collaboration with the Ivorian ministries.

“These include the improved cookstoves’ distribution program (i.g. clean cooking program), which leverages the local production and has already benefited over 575,000 people in vulnerable conditions, and the initiative to protect and restore 14 classified forests, both contributing to the project’s carbon neutrality.”

The project’s final investment decision (FID) was taken in December 2022. While Phase 1 began in August 2023, activities for Phase 2 were carried out in parallel and completed in full. With a current equity production of around 22,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, the company operates ten blocks in partnership with Petroci Holding in the Ivorian deepwater region: CI-101, CI-205, CI-401, CI-501, CI-801, CI-802, CI-504, CI-526, CI-706, and CI-708.

“With the start-up of Baleine’s Phase 2 and the development of Phase 3, currently under study, total production is set to reach 150,000 barrels of oil per day and 200 million cubic feet of associated gas, further consolidating Côte d’Ivoire’s role as a regional energy hub and strengthening strategic collaboration with the local partner,” highlighted Eni.

The firm’s recent Calao discovery, which has put the wind in Cote d’Ivoire’s oil outlook’s sails, and total planned investments of over $15 billion will enable the African country to step up its oil production game from 60,000 barrels per day (bpd) to around 200,000 bpd over the next three years.

The Italian giant is also active in other African countries, including Congo, where it is making progress to bring its next floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) unit online in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Eni recently inked contracts for four offshore exploration blocks with the Ministry of Mines, Oil, and Energy of Côte d’Ivoire, expanding its presence in the African country with a strategic opportunity to create further synergies.