The Brazilian oil and gas company Petrobras has submitted a declaration of interest for nine exploratory blocks on the offshore areas of Côte d'Ivoire, namely blocks CI 513, CI 600, CI 601, CI 602, CI 603, CI 605, CI 700, CI 701 and CI 702. This declaration of interest will ensure exclusivity in the contractual negotiation phase and is the first phase in the acquisition process for exploratory areas in the country, before contractual negotiations of the exploratory blocks.
The government of Côte d’Ivoire plans a more than three-fold increase in oil production in the country between 2024 and 2027, as output is expected to grow from around 60 kb/d to about 200 kb/d by 2027. Hydrocarbon production will be boosted by recent oil and gas discoveries at the Côte d’Ivoire’s Baleine and Calao offshore fields. The government also expects more than US$15bn to be invested in the country's oil sector in the coming years.