African country, Ivory Coast will become a "major" oil producer from 2023, after the discovery last September of hydrocarbons that will be exploited by Italian company Eni. The information was advanced by the president of the Ivorian coast, Alassane Ouattara.

Eni's CEO, Claudio Descalzi, confirmed that "first production" from this field will be in 2023.

Ivory Coast announced in September that it had made a "major discovery" of oil and natural gas off its coast in the east of the country.

The potential of the field, called "Baleine," is high: 1.5 to 2 billion barrels of crude oil and 1,800 to 2,400 billion cubic feet of associated gas.

So far, Ivory Coast has been a modest hydrocarbon producer, at about 30,000 barrels per day. It is not yet known how much of the production will be exported, and how much will remain for domestic consumption.

During the exploration phase, Eni controlled 90% of block CI-101, while Petroci Holding, which represents government interests, controlled 10%.

"Of course there is a financial aspect, but there is also a training aspect, which is very important" for youth employment, explained the head of state, quoted by Lusa.

In addition to Eni, several international companies, such as Total and Tullow Oil, have announced major discoveries in recent years in the country, which has 51 identified fields, of which four are in production, 26 are being explored and 21 are still free or under negotiation.