Murphy Oil Bets on Third Well to Advance Offshore Côte d’Ivoire Prospects

Murphy Oil has continued its offshore exploration campaign in Côte d’Ivoire with the drilling of the Bubale-1X well in block CI-709.

Industry publication Upstream Online reported that the company is relying on the results of this well to determine whether it will proceed with development plans around the Paon prospect. Murphy had previously considered submitting a field development plan for the discovery last year. The company now appears to be tying any investment decision in the area to the outcome of the current drilling program.

Bubale-1X is the third well drilled as part of Murphy’s exploration campaign in Côte d’Ivoire’s offshore basin. The first two wells in the program Civette-1X in block CI-502 and Caracal-1X in block CI-102 both encountered hydrocarbon indicators. However, neither well confirmed volumes large enough to support commercial development. Despite this, the wells helped confirm the presence of an active petroleum system in the basin, strengthening the geological case for further exploration in the region.

Exploration Strategy in the Tano Basin

Murphy Oil operates several deepwater exploration licenses offshore Côte d’Ivoire in partnership with the national oil company PETROCI Holding. The U.S. company holds interests ranging from 85% to 90% in five offshore blocks located in the Tano Basin.

The ongoing drilling campaign is part of a of its efforts to better understand the basin’s oil potential. According to Rigzone, Murphy could eventually link multiple discoveries in the area to shared production infrastructure if sufficient recoverable volumes are identified.

Beyond testing for hydrocarbons, the Bubale-1X well is expected to generate new geological data on the surrounding reservoirs. This information will help refine estimates of potential resources and guide the next phase of the company’s exploration strategy. Results from the well are expected next month.