US-based energy company Murphy Oil has disclosed a series of operational advances spanning offshore Côte d’Ivoire, Vietnam and the US Gulf of Mexico (GoM).
Off the coast of Côte d’Ivoire, the company’s Bubale West-1X appraisal well in Block CI-103 penetrated around 88ft of net oil pay within the Turonian formation after reaching a total measured depth of roughly 19,357ft beneath 9,039ft of water.
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The well also intersected hydrocarbons in the underlying Albian interval.
Early evaluation of wireline logs and fluid samples suggested the crude is of high quality, and the operator plans to fold the new data into its broader subsurface model to guide further appraisal activity.
Murphy’s local subsidiary, Murphy CI-103 Oil, operates the block with an 85% stake, while Société Nationale d’Opérations Pétrolières de la Côte d’Ivoire retains the remaining 15%.
In Vietnamese waters, Murphy marked a major strategic milestone when the Lac Da Vang field in Block 15-1/05 began producing in September 2026, establishing a fresh source of output and cash flow from the company’s offshore portfolio.
Additional wells are due to come onstream over the next two years, lifting net peak volumes to an estimated 10,000–15,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) during 2028 and 2029.
Within the same licence, the Lac Da Trang North-1X exploration well proved successful, identifying 131ft of net oil pay at a total measured depth of around 12,579ft in shallow water of 147ft.
Murphy noted that the newly operational Lac Da Vang facilities could serve as a tie-in point for the discovery, offering a potentially faster and more cost-effective route to development.
The company, via its subsidiary Murphy Cuu Long Bac Oil, operates Block 15-1/05 at 40%, alongside PetroVietnam Exploration Production at 35% and SK Earthon at 25%.
In the US GoM, the Chinook #8 well in Walker Ridge Block 425 has commenced production via the Pioneer floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel.
Initial gross output reached approximately 15,000boepd, matching expectations set ahead of drilling.
Murphy holds an 86.7% working interest through its subsidiaries, with Petrobras America accounting for the remaining 13.3%.
Murphy president and CEO Eric Hambly said: “These achievements highlight Murphy’s ability to create value across exploration, appraisal and development.
“Bubale West-1X and Lac Da Trang North-1X further expand our resource potential, while development progress at Lac Da Vang and Chinook #8 demonstrate our ability to efficiently convert resources into production and cash flow.”
Earlier this year, Murphy drilled the Hai Su Vang-2X appraisal well in Block 15-2/17 off the Vietnamese coast, confirming significant oil reserves and extending hydrocarbon resources in the Cuu Long Basin.
