Murphy Oil Hits 100ft Light Oil at Bubale-1X Offshore Côte d’Ivoire
MUR•Murphy Oil’s Bubale-1X well off Côte d’Ivoire reached 20,548 ft total depth in 7,795 ft water depth, encountering 100 ft of net light oil pay across two reservoirs. The company will enter appraisal stage and plans a follow-up well in H2 2026 to define the discovery’s scale.
1. Bubale-1X Well Discovery
The Bubale-1X exploration well, operated by Murphy CI-709 Oil, reached a total depth of 20,548 ft within 7,795 ft of water and encountered 100 ft of net oil pay across two separate reservoirs. Early analysis indicates the presence of high-quality light oil, marking the first discovery in Murphy Oil’s current three-well campaign offshore Côte d’Ivoire.
2. Appraisal and Development Plans
Following the discovery, Murphy Oil will transition into the appraisal stage to assess reservoir connectivity and fluid characteristics. The company plans to drill one additional well in the second half of 2026 to evaluate the size and commercial viability of the Bubale accumulation before advancing development decisions.
3. Block CI-709 Ownership and Strategic Context
Murphy Oil holds a 90% working interest in Block CI-709 with PETROCI retaining the remaining 10%. This discovery underscores the value of Murphy’s disciplined exploration approach across its offshore and onshore portfolio, which includes Gulf of Mexico, Canadian waters, Eagle Ford Shale, Tupper Montney, Kaybob Duvernay and ongoing appraisal activities in Vietnam’s Cuu Long Basin.
