Eni Awards SLB OneSubsea Contract for Baleine Oil and Gas Development

Eni has awarded SLB OneSubsea an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the subsea production system supporting Phase 3 of Côte d’Ivoire’s Baleine oil and gas field. The contract, announced on 13 July, covers the development of infrastructure for 13 subsea wells, although the financial value of the award was not disclosed.

Supporting Phase 3 Expansion

SLB OneSubsea will supply and install the subsea production equipment linking the wells to surface facilities. The scope includes subsea trees, manifolds, umbilicals, multiphase flowmeters and control systems, as well as installation, commissioning and lifecycle support for the field.

The contract forms part of Baleine’s third development phase, approved by Eni, Petroci and Vitol in May 2026. Once completed, Phase 3 is expected to increase oil production from 60,000 barrels per day to 150,000 barrels per day, while natural gas output is projected to rise from 80 million to 200 m illion cubic feet per day.

Expanding Côte d’Ivoire’s Largest Oil Discovery

The expansion also includes a new floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel together with upgrades aimed at improving operational efficiency, safety and environmental performance.

Discovered by Eni in 2021, Baleine is Côte d’Ivoire’s largest hydrocarbon discovery and the country’s first commercial oil and gas discovery in two decades. Located on offshore blocks CI-101 and CI-802 in water depths of approximately 1,200 metres, the field began production in August 2023, with Phase 2 entering production in late 2024.

SLB OneSubsea, a joint venture between SLB, Aker Solutions and Subsea7, will support the project using its existing operations in Côte d’Ivoire.

The additional production is expected to strengthen Côte d’Ivoire’s energy sector by increasing both oil exports and domestic natural gas supplies. The country relies heavily on natural gas to fuel electricity generation, making the Baleine expansion an important source of additional energy for power generation and industrial development.