Large oil and gas field discovered off Côte d’Ivoire

A LARGE oil and gas field has been discovered approximately 60 kilometres offshore in Côte d’Ivoire. The field is thought to contain up to two billion oil barrels and 2.4 trillion cubic feet of gas, a huge boost to the West African nation’s current reserves estimated at 100 million barrels. Côte d’Ivoire has been extracting offshore oil since its discovery in 1977. The country currently produces circa 50,000 barrels per day but has its sights set on increasing investment in mining and energy sectors. This discovery is expected to boost investment in the region; neighbouring Ghana already produces about 200,000 barrels per day while Nigeria produces an impressive 2.5 million per day.