Energy major Eni continues to deliver on its exploration drive in Africa, announcing two major hydrocarbon discoveries in February 2026. In Ivory Coast, the company successfully drilled the Murene South-1X well in Block CI-501, confirming the Calao South discovery within the prolific Calao channel complex. Through its Angolan joint venture Azule Energy, the company also announced the Algaita-01 well in Block 15/06 – situated in the prolific Lower Congo Basin. Together, these milestones reflect a deliberate dual-track strategy for the company: opening new hydrocarbon frontiers while strengthening production capacity across Africa’s established markets.
As the voice of the African energy sector, the African Energy Chamber (AEC) commends Eni for its sustained commitment to African exploration. Large-scale discoveries in Ivory Coast and Angola are not only commercial wins – they are strategic victories for the continent. For emerging producers such as Ivory Coast, discoveries of this scale fast-track energy independence and domestic gas-to-power expansion. For mature producers such as Angola, they underpin production stability and fiscal resilience at a time when global capital is increasingly selective. As the company advances appraisal, testing and development planning, these discoveries have the potential to catalyze a new wave of upstream momentum across Africa’s hydrocarbon market.




