Energy major Eni continues to advance its exploration drive in Africa, announcing two significant hydrocarbon discoveries in February 2026. In Ivory Coast, the company successfully drilled the Murene South-1x well in Block CI-501, confirming the Calao South discovery within the prolific Calao channel complex. Through its Angolan joint venture Azule Energy, the company also announced the Algaita-01 well in Block 15/06, situated in the prolific Lower Congo Basin in Angola. Together, these milestones reflect a deliberate dual-track strategy: opening new hydrocarbon frontiers while strengthening production capacity across Africa’s established markets.
As the voice of the African energy sector, the African Energy Chamber (AEC) has commended Eni for its sustained commitment to African exploration. According to the Chamber, large-scale discoveries in Ivory Coast and Angola represent not only commercial achievements but strategic gains for the continent. For emerging producers such as Ivory Coast, discoveries of this scale can accelerate energy independence and domestic gas-to-power expansion. For mature producers such as Angola, they help underpin production stability and fiscal resilience at a time of increasingly selective global capital flows. As appraisal, testing and development planning progress, the discoveries are expected to catalyse renewed upstream momentum across Africa’s hydrocarbon market.
Ivory Coast: Unlocking New Frontiers
Representing the first exploration well in Block CI-501, the Calao South discovery is estimated to contain 5 trillion cubic feet of gas and 450 million barrels of condensate. Drilled in water depths of approximately 5,000 metres, the Murene South-1X well encountered high-quality Cenomanian sands with strong petrophysical properties. A full drill stem test is planned to assess production capacity, though early resource estimates already signal transformative potential for the Ivorian gas market.
Calao South also complements the fast-tracked Baleine Field development, operated by Eni. Currently producing more than 62,000 barrels of oil and over 75 million cubic feet of gas per day from Phases 1 and 2, Baleine is set to expand significantly under Phase 3, targeting 150,000 barrels of oil and 200 million cubic feet of gas per day. The phased development model illustrates how exploration success can be rapidly converted into production, supporting domestic power generation, industrial demand and export growth.
Angola: Scaling Up Production
Eni’s exploration momentum extends beyond frontier acreage. In Angola, the Algaita-01 well further validates the resource potential of Block 15/06, one of the country’s largest producing assets. Drilled in 667 meters of water by the Saipem 12000 drillship, the well encountered oil-bearing sandstones across multiple Upper Miocene intervals, supported by comprehensive data acquisition and fluid sampling. Initial resource estimates of approximately 500 million barrels of oil underscore the growth potential of Angola’s mid-life assets.
Algaita-01’s proximity to the Olombendo FPSO significantly enhances development prospects, leveraging existing infrastructure to reduce capital intensity and accelerate time-to-market. This near-field exploration model demonstrates how incremental discoveries around established hubs can help sustain Angola’s production above one million barrels per day, even as legacy fields mature.
A Continental Exploration Drive
The Ivory Coast and Angola discoveries align with Eni’s broader exploration and investment strategy across Africa. In North Africa, the company plans to invest up to €24 billion across Algeria, Libya and Egypt over the next four years. The company recently secured the offshore exploration License O1 following Libya’s 2025 open licensing round. Exploration efforts coincide with an expanded LNG strategy, including Congo LNG, whose Phase 2 commenced in December 2025, and Coral North, launched in October 2025.
Commenting on the developments, NJ Ayuk, executive chairman of the African Energy Chamber, stated that the discoveries send a strong signal to global markets that Africa remains competitive and prospective. He emphasised that oil and gas continue to play a foundational role in the continent’s industrialisation, power generation and economic sovereignty, and that companies investing and partnering across Africa are contributing to long-term development and energy security.
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