SLB OneSubsea has been awarded an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract by Eni for Phase 3 of the Baleine field development, located offshore Côte d'Ivoire. The contract was reported by Offshore Technology and confirms that the Baleine project continues its staged development trajectory under Eni's operatorship.
The Baleine field has been one of West Africa's more closely watched deepwater developments in recent years, with Eni advancing the project through successive phases. The award of a Phase 3 EPC contract to SLB OneSubsea signals that earlier phases have progressed sufficiently to justify committing capital to the next stage of subsea infrastructure buildout. SLB OneSubsea, the subsea technologies joint venture between SLB and OneSubsea, brings integrated engineering and construction capabilities to the scope, which would typically encompass subsea production systems, flowlines, and associated infrastructure — though the article does not detail specific contract scope items.
Côte d'Ivoire has been working to consolidate its position as a meaningful offshore producer in the Gulf of Guinea. The Baleine development, operated by Eni, represents the country's most active deepwater programme and has attracted sustained international contractor interest. The Phase 3 EPC award reinforces that the project's development schedule remains on track and that Eni is prepared to continue accelerating production capacity offshore.
For the broader West African subsea supply chain, the Baleine Phase 3 award is a concrete signal that multi-phase deepwater developments in the region continue to generate substantial contract flow. As a phased development, Baleine creates recurring procurement cycles — each phase requiring discrete engineering, equipment, and installation scopes — making it a structurally attractive programme for service companies positioned in the region. The selection of SLB OneSubsea for the EPC role indicates that integrated contractors with strong subsea system capabilities are best placed to capture anchor contracts on such programmes.
