Murphy Oil has announced an oil discovery at the Bubale-1X exploration well in Block CI-709, located approximately 40 miles offshore Côte d’Ivoire.

The Bubale-1X well was drilled to a total depth of 20,548 feet (6,263 meters) in 7,795 feet (2,376 meters) of water. The well encountered 100 feet (30 meters) of net oil pay across two reservoirs, with preliminary assessment indicating high-quality light oil.

“Early results at Bubale reinforce the prospectivity of our Côte d’Ivoire acreage,” said Eric Hambly, President and Chief Executive Officer. “We are pleased with the results to date, which underscore the value of a disciplined and consistent exploration approach. Our immediate focus now is advancing evaluation plans to define the discovery’s full potential.”

The Bubale-1X well is the third and final well in Murphy’s current three-well exploration campaign in Côte d’Ivoire. Following these results, Murphy will move into the next phase of evaluation, with one well planned for the second half of 2026 to test the extent of the discovery.

The Bubale-1X well was spud in late February 2026 by Murphy CI-709 Oil Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Murphy Oil Corporation and operator of Block CI-709. Murphy holds a 90 percent working interest in the block, with Société Nationale d’Opérations Pétrolières de la Côte d’Ivoire (PETROCI) holding the remaining 10 percent.

KeyFacts Energy: Murphy Oil Côte d'Ivoire country profile   l   KeyFacts Energy: Discovery news