Altera Infrastructure will build a new floating production, storage and offloading vessel for the third phase of the Baleine development offshore Ivory Coast, extending a multi-year build-out in the Ivorian-Tano basin first tapped by Eni in 2021.

The newbuild FPSO commitment, reported by Inspenet this week, marks the contractor's return to the West African FPSO pool as the field operator moves toward a third expansion. Altera had previously chartered vessels into the region; the Phase 3 unit will be purpose-built for the field, the company said.

What does the contract cover?

Altera will design, construct and operate the vessel under a long-term contract tied to Baleine Phase 3, with delivery timed to project startup. The contractor has not yet disclosed processing capacity, storage volume or nameplate throughput. Those figures typically surface at hull order placement or financial close.

The unit will sit on Block CI-101, where Eni operates with state partner Petroci Holding. Baleine is the Ivorian-Tano basin's anchor development and Ivory Coast's first deepwater producing field.

Where the field stands

Baleine came onstream in 2021 with Phase 1 capacity around 12,000 barrels per day from the West Manatee reservoir. A second phase, sanctioned in late 2022 and ramped through 2024, lifted the combined plateau toward 30,000 bpd.

Eni and Petroci signalled a third phase was in design as Phase 2 ramped up. Industry expectations put the eventual plateau in the 50,000–60,000 bpd range once gas handling and reservoir management upgrades land.

The Phase 3 vessel from Altera will physically handle that next tranche of output. A newbuild, rather than a redeployed unit, gives the operator flexibility on topsides specification, water handling and gas-lift design. Those choices matter as the field ages and water cut rises.

What changes for Ivory Coast

For Abidjan, each Baleine phase has pushed national output closer to the 100,000 bpd target and trimmed refined-product reliance. On publicly sketched timelines, Phase 3 would carry the country past the 60,000 bpd offshore mark. It would also add gas handling that could feed LNG export or domestic power.

Altera's entry reshapes the local vessel pool. The contractor joins MODEC, SBM Offshore and BW Energy affiliates in chasing West African newbuild orders. Deepwater demand from Namibia to Suriname has tightened that queue since 2022.

The watch items

• The FPSO capacity figure, expected with hull order placement.
• A confirmed first-oil date for Phase 3, which Eni and Petroci have not yet published.
• Partner dilution or financing structure as the project moves toward sanction.
• Ivorian regulator approvals for the expansion's environmental and gas-flaring terms.

Takeaway: Altera has secured the third FPSO seat on Ivory Coast's flagship deepwater field — the vessel's capacity and delivery date now set the pace of West Africa's most-watched phased development.