Murphy Oil Discovers High-Quality Light Oil at Bubale-1X Well Offshore Côte d’Ivoire
Murphy Oil has announced an oil discovery at the Bubale-1X exploration well in Block CI-709, located approximately 64 kilometres offshore Côte d’Ivoire, marking another milestone in the company’s offshore exploration programme.
The Bubale-1X well was drilled to a total depth of 6,263 metres in water depths of 2,376 metres.
It encountered 30 metres of net oil pay across two reservoir intervals, with preliminary evaluations indicating the presence of high-quality light oil.
“Early results at Bubale reinforce the prospectivity of our Côte d’Ivoire acreage,” said Eric Hambly, President and Chief Executive Officer of Murphy Oil.
“We are encouraged by the results, which reflect the strength of our disciplined exploration strategy. Our immediate priority is to advance appraisal activities and determine the full extent and commercial potential of the discovery.”
The Bubale-1X well is the third and final exploration well in Murphy Oil’s current three-well drilling campaign offshore Côte d’Ivoire.
Following the discovery, the company will move into the evaluation phase and plans to drill an additional appraisal or exploration well during the second half of 2026 to better define the resource.
The well was spudded in late February by Murphy CI-709 Oil Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Murphy Oil Corporation and operator of Block CI-709.
Murphy Oil holds a 90% working interest in the block, while Côte d’Ivoire’s national oil company, Société Nationale d’Opérations Pétrolières de la Côte d’Ivoire (PETROCI), owns the remaining 10%.
The discovery further strengthens Murphy Oil’s exploration portfolio in West Africa and underscores the continued hydrocarbon potential of Côte d’Ivoire’s deepwater offshore basins.
