Petrobras signs eight offshore oil exploration contracts in Côte d'Ivoire

Petrobras has signed eight production sharing contracts to explore offshore oil and gas blocks in Côte d'Ivoire. The agreements, finalized in Abidjan, grant the Brazilian company 90% participation and operator status for blocks CI-513, CI-600, CI-601, CI-602, CI-603, CI-605, CI-701, and CI-702. The local state company, Petroci Holding, will retain a 10% interest.

The exploration will take place in deep and ultra-deep waters, with depths ranging from 1,500 to 4,000 meters along the African equatorial margin. Petrobras will operate through its subsidiary, Petrobras Netherlands B.V. The initial investment phase is estimated to exceed 250 billion FCFA, covering advanced seismic data acquisition and at least eight exploratory wells.

Petrobras leadership, including President Magda Chambriard, noted that the region's geological characteristics are similar to Brazilian sedimentary basins. This move is part of a broader strategy to diversify the company's international portfolio and replenish oil and gas reserves through new frontier exploration.