In offshore projects, quality of execution depends on far more than technical capability alone. It also relies on the ability to organize, coordinate and maintain a complete chain of services in demanding environments. Accommodation, catering, logistics, maintenance and team management are essential to operational continuity and site performance. In Ivory Coast, the acceleration of offshore oil and gas activity is reshaping operators’ needs. It is creating new opportunities for service companies, while also raising expectations in terms of quality, safety, responsiveness and competitiveness.

Within CIS Group, a specialist in remote sites services in isolated environments, we support our clients with a diversified and tailored range of services, from catering and accommodation to facility and utility management, camp design, and the supply of installations and equipment. In this interview, Xavier, Offshore Operations Manager, shares his background, his perspective on the dynamics of the Ivorian market, and the key drivers required to build sustainable growth in offshore.

Interview with Xavier, Offshore Operations Manager: expertise, agility and human capital serving offshore

Xavier, can you briefly tell us about your background? What made you want to work in offshore?

“I come from a catering and accommodation background, with a vocational diploma that gave me solid operational training, followed by a management school in Strasbourg, more focused on management, finance and business administration. After one year in New Zealand, I joined CIS in Mauritania, where I gradually progressed from an assistant role to managing a site in Mauritania, and then to the position of Operations Manager. The opportunity to join Ivory Coast and discover offshore then arose. I also had the chance to work alongside Prasanta Das, who has several decades of experience in this sector and from whom I had a great deal to learn. It was an opportunity to discover a new environment and add a new dimension to my operational experience.”

This background reflects a strong reality of service professions in isolated environments: performance relies both on operational expertise, management discipline and the ability to adapt to new contexts. In offshore, this combination is particularly strategic.

Offshore activity is accelerating rapidly in Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast is experiencing unprecedented acceleration in offshore oil and gas activity. How do you feel this change on the ground and in the intensity of your operations?

“We feel it very clearly. When CIS Ivory Coast started its offshore activities in 2023, we had only one operation. Offshore is, by nature, a moving sector, with units arriving, leaving or changing campaign, but today we are managing several operations simultaneously. This means more mobilizations, more logistics, more recruitment and, above all, a capacity to adapt very quickly to our clients’ needs. The momentum is clearly positive and the development potential remains significant.”

Moving from one operation to several simultaneous operations requires a stronger organization, tighter logistics and rapid mobilization capacity. For offshore catering, offshore accommodation and on-site support services, this acceleration is changing the very nature of operational management.

The oil and gas boom creates more opportunities, but also greater demands

There is a lot of discussion about the oil and gas “boom” in Ivory Coast. How does this translate concretely on the ground?

“It can first be seen in the arrival of new operators and numerous specialized subcontractors, but also in a multiplication of consultations and tenders. A whole chain of services is developing around offshore projects: logistics, personnel, maintenance, catering, accommodation and associated services. For us, this naturally generates more opportunities, but also greater demands. We must be able to mobilize skilled teams quickly and provide locally the same level of service as that expected on major international projects.”

The more offshore activity develops, the more structured support service needs become. For a group such as CIS, this confirms the importance of an integrated offer capable of covering clients’ essential needs in complex environments, with the same level of quality as international standards.

Preparing for changes in the offshore sector

Faced with environmental and technological challenges, how is CIS Ivory Coast preparing to remain a benchmark player in this fast-changing market?

“We are clearly in a period of energy transition. The development of alternative energies will continue, and that is essential, but it does not mean that oil and gas needs will disappear in the short term. These resources will remain strategic for many years to come. Our role is therefore to support this evolution by continuously improving our methods, our efficiency and our environmental impact. CIS Ivory Coast benefits above all from the Group’s international offshore experience, which we combine with local teams and local expertise. Our ambition is clear: to become a lasting offshore reference in Ivory Coast.”

A clear direction emerges from this vision: supporting the present while preparing for the future. In remote sites services, facility management and services in isolated environments, the challenge is not only to operate. It is also to improve methods, strengthen operational efficiency and integrate growing expectations in terms of environmental impact.

Quality, safety, reporting and cost: increasingly high standards

In this highly competitive market, client requirements are becoming increasingly strict. How do you stand out and overcome these demands?

“This evolution is not limited to offshore alone: our clients are generally becoming more demanding in terms of quality, safety, reporting and price. To remain competitive, strong operational and financial discipline is essential. It begins at tender stage, with a realistic, competitive and fully controlled contract. Then, when several operations are managed in the same country, it is necessary to pool resources, optimize purchasing and logistics, and create economies of scale.”

In offshore services, competitiveness is not only about price. It relies on quality of execution, reliability, cost control and the ability to sustain performance over time. This operational discipline is a key condition for meeting the expectations of energy companies, oil and gas operators, mining companies and international institutions.

The next five years: growth, local content and skills development

Ivory Coast is now establishing itself as a key energy player in West Africa. How do you see offshore developing over the next five years, and how can this growth be supported?

“I think offshore will continue to grow strongly in Ivory Coast, but also in several other African countries where new energy projects are emerging. At the same time, local content requirements are taking on increasing importance, with a clear intention to develop local employment, national skills, as well as local suppliers and partners. To support this growth, our priority must therefore be to strengthen our local organization, train our Ivorian teams and continue to develop our supplier network. The objective is to combine the Group’s international expertise with strong and sustainable local capabilities.”

Local content is now a central issue. It shapes market expectations and requires service providers to build strong local organizations. For CIS Group, this means investing in skills, developing teams on the ground and embedding its service model sustainably in the countries where the Group operates.

In offshore, human capital remains the primary driver of performance

Offshore work is known to be physically and mentally demanding. How do teams experience this rigor on a daily basis?

“For catering and service teams, the jobs remain fairly similar to those performed onshore, but the conditions are obviously different. Spaces are more limited, staffing levels are optimized and certain tasks, especially loading and unloading operations, can be physically demanding. Distance from family is also a constraint, even though rotations, often organized around 28 days on / 28 days off cycles, then allow for long periods back onshore. Employees who choose offshore are aware of these constraints. Management’s role is above all to build a strong collective: in an isolated environment, cohesion, mutual respect and attention to living conditions are just as important as work organization.”

This conviction is essential within CIS Group: ours is a service business, and therefore a people business. If we highlight our employees through interviews, it is to show the reality of the expertise that supports our operations every day. It is also a way of emphasizing our greatest asset: human capital. In isolated environments, service quality relies on committed, trained, supervised teams capable of working together over time.

FAQ

What services develop around offshore projects?
Offshore projects require a complete chain of services, including logistics, personnel management, maintenance, catering, accommodation and other associated services essential to operational continuity.

Why is Ivory Coast a strategic market for offshore?
Ivory Coast is experiencing rapid growth in offshore oil and gas activity. This momentum is attracting new operators, generating more tenders and increasing demand for specialized support services.

How does CIS Group differentiate itself in isolated environments?
CIS Group stands out through its experience in remote sites services, its integrated service offer and its ability to combine international expertise with local capabilities in demanding operational environments.

Why highlight employees in this type of article?
These interviews help showcase professional expertise, reflect the reality of the field and highlight that, as a service company, CIS Group’s strength lies first and foremost in its people.

In summary

• Offshore activity in Ivory Coast is accelerating strongly.
• Support services are becoming increasingly strategic.
• Clients expect quality, safety, responsiveness and competitiveness.
• Local content and local workforce development are taking on a central role.
• Human capital remains a key performance driver for CIS Group.

The growth of offshore activity in Ivory Coast confirms the rise of a service ecosystem that has become essential to the success of energy projects. Through this interview, Xavier highlights market changes, the intensification of operations, rising client requirements and the growing importance of local anchoring. His testimony also shows that performance in offshore depends on a precise balance between operational expertise, organization, responsiveness and human quality.

To learn more about our services, you can discover our expertise, explore our remote sites services solutions or contact our teams.