In Côte d’Ivoire, the Italian oil company ENI has just made a second discovery of crude oil and natural gas, off Assinie, in the south-east of the country. The deposit is right next to the first, discovered last year. It increases the reserves of Côte d’Ivoire by 25% and increases the ambitions of the Ivorian economy.
With our correspondent in Abidjan, Youenn Gourlay
This is a second discovery that confirms the potential of the Ivorian coasts. It allows this vast deposit called “Baleine”, to go from two billion to 2.5 billion barrels of crude oil, and from 2,400 to 3,300 billion cubic feet of natural gas. The share of the Ivorian State on the profits will be 52% against 48% for the Italian company.
This is enough to boost the growing Ivorian economy a little more, according to economist Yao Seraphin Prao: ” These discoveries will strengthen and diversify the bases of the Ivorian economy. Already in 2018, oil brought Côte d’Ivoire 500 billion CFA francs. There, we can clearly see that the more oil we discover, the more the State coffers will find enough money to be able to act. The first barrels are expected by the second quarter of 2023.
For the economist, this deposit could help subsidize the price of gasoline, which continues to rise, and better cover the country with electricity: “ To move towards emergence, all the villages will have to be electrified. However, you know that the electricity network also depends on oil and natural gas, so I think that these discoveries will do good for the Ivorian populations.. »
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During the first discovery, the opposition and environmental activists welcomed the news, while asking the State not to forget to benefit the populations and to continue the development of renewable energies.