The Ministry of Mines, Oil and Energy announced on June 23, 2026 a new discovery of hydrocarbons in the Ivorian sedimentary basin, off the coast, on the offshore block CI-709, in a press release. This discovery results from exploration work carried out by Murphy Oil Corporation in partnership with PETROCI Holding, through the Bubale-1X exploration well. According to data made public by the ministry, the drilling was carried out as part of a campaign launched in February 2026. The Bubale-1X well reached a total depth of 6,263 meters, in a deep water zone estimated at approximately 2,400 meters of water column. The first results indicate the presence of approximately 30 meters of net column of oil, distributed in two distinct reservoirs identified during formation analyses. These results constitute an exploratory discovery and do not yet make it possible to determine the recoverable volumes or the profitability of the deposit. The press release specifies that all the data remains under interpretation, pending additional work.

A drilling at the heart of the offshore strategy

The Bubale-1X well is part of the dynamics of exploration of deep water areas of the Ivorian sedimentary basin. This type of operation requires advanced drilling technologies due to constraints linked to depth and geological conditions. With a total depth of more than six kilometers, the work carried out on block CI-709 involves a complex level of engineering, characteristic of deep offshore exploration. The Ivorian sedimentary basin has been an area of ​​interest for oil operators for several years. Successive campaigns have revealed several geological structures favorable to the presence of hydrocarbons. Block CI-709 is added to this set of permits awarded to international companies in partnership with the national company PETROCI. The results obtained on Bubale-1X come from the first petrophysical and geological analyzes carried out after drilling. This data includes core evaluation, electrical logs and formation tests, used to determine the presence of hydrocarbon-producing areas.

Growing interest in deep offshore areas

The discovery of block CI-709 is part of a series of explorations carried out in the deep offshore areas of the Ivorian sedimentary basin. In recent years, several blocks have been awarded to international operators as part of campaigns aimed at better mapping the country's energy potential. The company PETROCI Holding plays a central role in these operations, ensuring State participation and coordination of technical partnerships. This approach aims to strengthen national capacities in the exploration and management of petroleum resources.

The results of the Bubale-1X well confirm the presence of an active petroleum system in the area studied. However, the conversion of this discovery into an industrial project will depend on the results of the next evaluation campaigns and the resulting investment decisions.