Saipem Bags $260 Million Offshore Côte d'Ivoire Drilling Contract from Eni

02:14 AM EDT, 07/22/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Saipem (SPM.MI) secured a $260 million drilling contract offshore Côte d'Ivoire from Eni (ENI.MI) unit Eni Côte d'Ivoire, according to a Wednesday release. Under the deal, the engineering and construction group will deploy its Santorini drillship for a long-term development drilling program. Operations are expected to commence in early 2027. The agreement also includes the potential deployment of the rig in neighbouring countries, with additional optional periods.