Another FPSO has been added to existing fleet onboard Africa. This time is the new FPSO Firenze currently sailing to resume production start-up of the Baleine field, which is the largest hydrocarbon discovery in Côte d’Ivoire. Eni, in partnership with PetroCi, is celebrating the sail away of the FPSO Firenze to the Baleine field offshore Côte d’Ivoire in Dubai.

 The event which was attended by Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly, Minister of Mines, Petroleum and Energy Côte of d’Ivoire, and other dignitaries is a continental pride to a soaring FPSO engagement in oil and gas operational activities in the sub-Sahara region amid global quest for decarbonization of the industrial.

The FPSO Firenze will allow production start-up of the Baleine field, which is the largest hydrocarbon discovery in Côte d’Ivoire to date, with an estimated oil in place of 2.5 billion barrels and 3.3 trillion cubic feet of associated gas. The development of Baleine will also be Africa’s first net-zero emission project (Scope 1 and 2). 

The FPSO Firenze, that will be renamed Baleine after its arrival in Cote d’Ivoire, has been refurbished and upgraded in order to allow it to treat up to 15,000 bbl/d of oil and around 25 Mcfd/d of associated gas. The entire gas production will be delivered onshore via a newly built export pipeline. The installation of the subsea production system and well completion campaign are underway and will ensure an accelerated start-up of production by June 2023.

Eni’s phased development model and fast track have proven to be effective, as the project is set to start production less than 2years from the Baleine 1X discovery well and one and a half years after the FID. Eni is already progressing swiftly on the second phase of the project forecasting a start-up of production by December 2024 after having taken the FID in December 2022.

Eni is committed to sustainable development, and the Baleine field’s net-zero emission project is a significant step towards achieving this goal. The company looks forward to contributing to the development of Côte d’Ivoire’s hydrocarbon industry with the Baleine field and its other projects in the Ivorian deep water.

The Baleine field extends over blocks CI-101 and CI-802. Eni also owns interests in four other blocks in the Ivorian deep water: CI-205, CI-501, CI-401, and CI-801, all with the same partner, PetroCi Holding.