Eni SPA is advancing exploration in the Mediterranean in the Contract Area D offshore Libya. The company spudded its B1-16/3 well on Jan. 4 in 518 ft of water about 140 km northwest of Tripoli and 5 km north of Bahr Essalam gas field. The 9,865-ft well’s primary objective is the Metlaoui group reservoir, the company said. Drilling is expected to take 64 days.
Eni was granted the license by Libya National Oil Corp. in June 2008.
Eni late last month signed concession agreements for the North El Hammad and North Ras El Esh exploration blocks in the Egyptian Mediterranean. Both shallow-water blocks were awarded in the 2015 Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Co.’s (EGAS) international bid round (OGJ Online Oct. 12, 2015).
The two agreements follow the recently awarded blocks of Southwest Meleiha (in the Western Desert), Shorouk, Karawan, and North Leil (in the deep water of the Egyptian Mediterranean).
North El Hammad lies west of the Abu Madi West and Baltim-Baltim South development areas, where Eni recently made the Nooros discovery, which has been in production since August 2015 (OGJ Online, Sep. 12, 2016).
Eni is the operator of the North El Hammad block with an equity of 37.5% in participation with BP PLC, who has a 37.5% stake, and Total 25%. Eni holds 50% interest in North Ras El Esh block, which is operated by BP with 50%.
