Energy giants Eni, SOCAR scale up joint activity in Côte d’Ivoire

Italian energy company Eni and the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic, SOCAR, are expanding their cooperation in Côte d’Ivoire, according to Eni Director for Exploration and Production Luca Vignati.

Speaking at the 31st Baku Energy Forum in Baku, Vignati said that at the Baleine field, the first and second phases of development are currently being carried out in parallel, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

“Concerning synergy and cooperation with SOCAR, let me also remind all of us that we are partners in Africa, namely in Côte d’Ivoire. The fact is that you entered one of the latest and most significant assets — the Baleine field — and both the first and second phases of development are now in full swing there. Therefore, we welcome cooperation with SOCAR worldwide, as it is part of diversification,” Vignati stated.

He emphasised that Eni is also seeking diversification in terms of energy sources.

“After all, Eni and Italy do not have vast domestic resources, and we are obliged to ensure energy security for our country and, I would say, for our continent as a whole. This comes after ensuring energy security in each individual country where we operate. In other words, our priority is always the energy security of the host country, and only then for ourselves,” Vignati added.

By Jeyhun Aghazada