Eni begins second phase of oil and gas production at Ivory Coast Baleine field

ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Italy's Eni on Saturday started a second phase of oil and gas production at Ivory Coast's offshore Baleine field, the energy group said on Saturday.

Eni discovered the Baleine field in September 2021 and started production in August last year. The second phase was scheduled to begin by the end of 2024.

Production will now reach 60,000 barrels of oil per day (bbl/d) and 70 million standard cubic feet of associated gas per day (Mscf/d), Eni said in a statement on Saturday.

When production started last year, Eni said that Baleine would also have a third development phase that could increase output to 150,000 bbl/d and 200 Mscf/d.

The Italian energy group has been present in the West African country since the 1960s with its subsidiary Agip Cote d'Ivoire.

(Reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly; Writing by Sofia Christensen; Editing by Kevin Liffey)