Italy’s Eni grabbed the majority stakes in two new exploration block approximately 50 kilometers off the shore of the Ivory Coast.
The two deep offshore blocks, denominated CI-101 and CI-205, are in the eastern part of the Tano basin, where Eni already operates, and cover a total area of about 2,850 square kilometers, the company said in a statement.
Block CI-101 is at water depths of between 200 and 2,500 m and located 50 km south of the capital Abidjan, while block CI-205 is at water depths of between 2,000 and 2,700 m, and located 80 km south-west from the capital.
Eni will operate and hold a 90 percent stake in both blocks, while the state-owned company Petroci continues to hold the remaining 10 percent.
The Italian company operates in the Ivory Coast through its subsidiary Eni Côte d’Ivoire, which in 2015 acquired a 30 percent stake in the offshore exploration block CI-100.