Saipem Secures $260 Million Ivory Coast Offshore Drilling Contract as Baleine Development Expands
Italian energy services company Saipem has secured a $260 million offshore drilling contract from Eni Côte d’Ivoire for a long-term development drilling campaign off the coast of Ivory Coast.
Under the agreement, Saipem will deploy its Santorini drillship, with operations expected to begin in early 2027.
The contract includes a firm drilling commitment as well as options for additional work, including the potential deployment of the vessel in neighbouring West African countries.
The award strengthens Saipem’s position in the region’s growing offshore oil and gas sector and provides longer-term utilisation for one of its high-specification drilling assets.
The contract comes alongside Saipem’s involvement in the third development phase of Eni’s Baleine oil and gas project, one of Ivory Coast’s most important offshore energy developments.
Under the Baleine Phase 3 contract, Saipem will carry out the engineering, fabrication, transportation and installation of approximately 50 kilometres of rigid subsea pipelines and associated infrastructure in water depths of up to 1,300 metres.
The company will also install flexible risers, jumpers, subsea production systems, a three-kilometre gas export flowline and approximately 22 kilometres of subsea umbilicals.
The work is expected to run for around three years and will involve Saipem’s FDS and Shen Da construction vessels.
The broader Baleine development is expected to strengthen Ivory Coast’s position as an emerging offshore oil and gas producer while supporting investment, government revenues and energy security.
Saipem’s latest contracts highlight the continued expansion of deepwater activity in West Africa as international energy companies advance projects aimed at bringing offshore resources into production.
For Ivory Coast, increased offshore investment could create opportunities across oilfield services, engineering, logistics and local supply chains, while supporting the development of the country’s growing energy industry.
