US-based energy independent Murphy Oil is preparing to launch a high-stakes exploration campaign in Côte d’Ivoire, targeting deepwater prospects that could reshape the West African energy landscape.
Transocean’s drillship Deepwater Skyros chartered by the company has arrived in the country and is ready to start a three-well exploration campaign in the Tano Basin.
The drillship anchored off Abidjan awaiting start, according to a news report by Upstream Online on Thursday.
The campaign marks Murphy’s bold entry into the Ivorian energy sector, following production-sharing agreements signed in five deepwater blocks in the Tano Basin in 2023.
Murphy controls about 1.5 million gross acres, with working interests of 85–90%. One of these blocks includes the Paon discovery, previously appraised by Anadarko.
In June 2024, Murphy Oil had said it would drill the first offshore well in the summer of 2025 if the government gave its approval.
“They want to have gas in their country. We have to talk to them openly and frankly about the return we need for international deepwater development,” Jenkins told J.P. Morgan analyst Arun Jayaram.
“There will be a deal to be made at some point. Like many things, it will take a few months to do the negotiation. We’re used to this. We’re good at it. They are, too.”
A look at petroleum exploration in Côte d’Ivoire
Côte d’Ivoire’s offshore basins in the Gulf of Guinea are rich in hydrocarbons, making the country a key player in West Africa’s energy landscape.
In recent years, it has witnessed accelerated discoveries across major fields like the Baleine field as well as new investments from global energy giants such as Petrobras and BP.
Discovered by Eni, Baleine is the largest hydrocarbon find in the country’s history. It is estimated to hold 2.5 billion barrels of crude oil and 3.3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
Several other offshore blocks are under active exploration, with promising reserves that could significantly increase national output.
This year, the Brazilian state-owned company Petrobras declared interest in nine offshore blocks, marking a major expansion of its global exploration strategy into Côte d’Ivoire.
Similarly, after a decade-long absence, BP officially re-entered the Ivorian market in March 2025, committing to offshore investments alongside Petrobras and Vitol.
Industry insiders describe Murphy’s target in the drilling campaign as a billion-barrel prospect, one of the largest currently being pursued across Africa.
Is Murphy worth the bold bet?
Murphy is a mid-sized but globally active energy company with a reputation for bold exploration in frontier regions.
While it faced financial challenges in recent years, its diversified portfolio and upcoming campaigns in Côte d’Ivoire and Vietnam highlight its ambition to remain a significant player in the global oil and gas industry.
The US energy independent had said that it was not only targeting a single well but a strategic foothold in a basin with enormous untapped potential.
Deepwater drilling is often costly and technically complex, with high financial stakes if the prospect does not deliver.
Offshore exploration also raises questions about marine ecosystem protection and sustainable resource management, not forgetting that global oil price fluctuations could affect the profitability of new projects.
The industry watches to see how Murphy can reduce risk and capture growth opportunities with its first-ever offshore exploration well in Côte d’Ivoire—a promising member of APPO and a subscriber to the budding African Energy Bank.
