The Ivorian government revealed on Monday 16 February 2026, a new discovery of hydrocarbons on the offshore block CI-501. The announcement was made through a statement signed by the Minister of Mines, of Petroleum and Energy, Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly.

Named CALAO South, the new deposit was discovered by Eni Côte d'Ivoire and its partner Petroci Holding. This discovery follows the drilling of the Murène exploration well South-1X, which reached a total depth of 5,058 meters under approximately 2200 meters of water. Located about 8 kilometers from southwest of the Murène-1X well on block CI-205, this drilling highlighted the presence of light oil, natural gas and condensates, confirming thus the economic and strategic interest of the zone.

Furthermore, the note states that “the all the resources in place highlighted in the blocks CI-501 and CI-205 is valued at approximately 1.4 billion barrels equivalent oil”. “This new discovery reinforces the potential in natural gas intended for electricity production in Côte d'Ivoire” fact know the briefing note.

This level of resources helps to strengthen Significantly the position of Côte d'Ivoire among producers emerging hydrocarbon industries in West Africa, in a regional context marked by growing energy demand.

Noted that Ivory Coast has been producing hydrocarbons for several decades from its blocks offshore, but its production has increased sharply in recent years thanks to new discoveries. According to official data, the country extracted 16.1 million barrels of crude oil in 2024, or about 44,000 barrels per day. This level represents an increase of approximately 50% compared to 2023, driven in particular by the ramp-up of the Whale field