Wison New Energies has started yard construction of the FPSO for the Baleine Phase 3 development offshore Côte d’Ivoire, completing the first steel cut for the hull on 30 August 2026.
The steel cut marks the start of fabrication work at the yard. Wison New Energies said the next planned construction step will be the first steel cut for the topsides.
Wison New Energies signed the EPCIC contract for the FPSO with Eni and Altera Infrastructure on 3 July 2026. The scope covers engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning. Altera Infrastructure will own and operate the FPSO after construction.
The newbuild FPSO will be constructed in China for deployment at the Baleine field, about 70 km offshore Côte d’Ivoire. According to Altera Infrastructure, the field lies in water depths ranging from 700 m to 1,300 m. The agreements include a fixed 15-year bareboat charter.
The FPSO is designed to produce 90,000 barrels of oil per day and process 160 million cubic feet of gas per day, with crude oil storage capacity of up to 1.4 million barrels. Wison New Energies has separately stated that the unit is designed to process 80,000 barrels of produced water per day.
