Ivory Coast plans to increase its oil and gas output by 2020 as the country seek for foreign investment in offshore exploration, the managing director of Petroci revealed.

The West African country has disregarded its petroleum sector for years to focus on developing agricultural exports but the authorities are at present looking to develop offshore reserves in the Gulf of Guinea.“Today we have around 60 blocks. We've awarded about 20. With current exploration our ambition is to reach 200,000 boe in 2020. That is around twice current output levels,” Ibrahima Diaby, Petroci's managing director said.

International oil companies currently carrying out exploration activities in Ivory Coast or preparing to do so includes Total, ExxonMobil, Anadarko, Tullow Oil and Lukoil. But earlier this year, Russia's Lukoil pulled out from its Ivorian operations.The country has also been increasing its existing oil and gas production. Canadian Natural Resources and Ivory Coast's Foxtrot International increased their per day natural gas production to 250 Mmcf compared to the 220 Mmcf three years ago.Meanwhile its current daily crude oil output has increased to 53,000 bpd from around 30,000 bpd in 2015, Diaby said.

The country is also making efforts to advance with plans to commence the importation of liquefied natural gas for domestic supply to its gas-fired power plants.The Managing Director stated that negotiations are still ongoing but first LNG shipments were anticipated to arrive in 2018, Upstream news reports.

Anita Fatunji