Eni announced, in a statement posted on its site on Monday, new gas discoveries in Libya totaling more than one trillion cubic feet.
The company revealed in the statement that it had made two new finds in the country “as a result of an exploration campaign initiated in the past months”.
Eni said two adjacent geological structures, Bahr Essalam South 2 (BESS 2) and Bahr Essalam South 3 (BESS 3), “were successfully drilled by the B2-16/4 and C1-16/4 wells, located approximately 85km [52.8 miles] off the coast in about 650 feet of water, and 16km [9.9 miles] south of the Bahr Essalam gas field”.
In the statement, Eni noted that gas-bearing intervals were encountered in both wells within the Metlaoui Formation, which the company said is the main productive reservoir of the area.
“The acquired data indicate the presence of a high quality reservoir, with productive capacity confirmed by the well test already carried out on the first well,” Eni said.
“Preliminary volumetric estimates indicate that the BESS 2 and BESS 3 structures jointly contain more than one trillion cubic feet of gas in place,” it added.
“Their proximity to the Bahr Essalam field – the largest offshore field in the country, in operation since 2005 – will enable rapid development through tie-back to existing offshore facilities,” it continued.
Eni noted in the statement that the gas produced will be supplied to the Libyan domestic market and for export to Italy.
In a statement posted on Libya National Oil Corporation’s (NOC) website on Monday, NOC announced “a significant exploration milestone in Libyan waters”.
“This follows the successful completion of drilling operations for the exploration well C1-16/4 and the appraisal well B2-16/4 in the Bahr Essalam 2 and Bahr Essalam 3 structures,” it added.
“The drilling was conducted by Eni North Africa, a foreign partner, as part of its exploration commitments in the offshore area. Initial assessments indicate the presence of significant gas reserves, estimated at around one trillion cubic feet,” it continued.
In the statement, NOC said it is actively working on an urgent development plan to connect the two wells to the Bahr Essalam offshore platform.
“These discoveries are projected to add about 130 million cubic feet of gas per day, boosting the NOC’s capacity to meet both domestic and international market demands and helping to address any gas supply shortages,” NOC said in the statement.
“This discovery highlights the promising potential of Libya’s offshore basins and continues the NOC’s efforts to boost production rates and develop the country’s natural resources,” it added.
According to the Energy Institute’s (EI) latest statistical review of world energy, which was released last year, Libya produced 14.3 billion cubic meters of natural gas in 2024. That marked a 4.1 percent year on year decrease, and 0.3 percent of global natural gas production in 2024, the review showed.
From 2014 to 2024, Libya’s natural gas production has increased by an annual average of 1.9 percent, the review outlined.
The EI’s gas figures exclude gas flared or recycled and include natural gas produced for gas to liquids transformation, the EI review highlights.
In another statement posted on its website last week, Eni announced a “significant” oil discovery in the Algaita-01 exploration well in Block 15/06, offshore Angola.
The find is approximately 11 miles from the Olombendo FPSO and preliminary estimates indicate oil in place of around 500 million barrels, Eni highlighted in that statement.
“The Algaita-01 well, spudded on 10 January 2026, was drilled by the Saipem 12000 drill ship in a water depth of 667 meters [1,968 feet],” Eni noted.
“The well encountered oil-bearing sandstones in multiple Upper Miocene intervals, characterized by excellent petrophysical properties. A comprehensive data acquisition campaign, including fluid sampling, confirmed the quality of the reservoir and the fluid characteristics,” it added.
“The presence of existing nearby production infrastructure further enhances the value of the discovery and improves its development prospects,” it continued.
To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com
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