Italy’s Eni North Africa has restarted exploration activities in offshore Libya after more than five years of suspension, marking a significant revival of energy operations in the region’s promising waters northwest of the country.
Libya’s National Oil Corporation announced that Eni has resumed drilling operations at the exploratory well C1-16/4, known as BESS-3, in Block 16/4, where work was abruptly halted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ensco rig 4005 originally began operations at the well on March 11, 2020, reaching a depth of 1,012 feet before the pandemic forced the well to be secured and temporarily abandoned. The rig was decommissioned on April 14, 2020, leaving the project in limbo for over five years.
Now, Italian company Saipem’s Scarabeo-9 rig is re-entering the well and completing drilling operations to reach the final planned depth of 10,520 feet, equivalent to 3,200 meters. This represents a significant technical undertaking in challenging offshore conditions.
The exploratory well is strategically located in Contract Area D, formerly known as MN 41, in the offshore area northwest of Libya at a water depth of approximately 743 meters. The site sits approximately 95 kilometers off the Libyan coast and roughly 15 kilometers from the Bahr Essalam gas field, one of the region’s established production assets. The resumption of drilling activities signals renewed confidence in Libya’s hydrocarbon potential and improved operational conditions in the country, which has faced years of political instability affecting its energy sector. The proximity to the Bahr Essalam field suggests the exploration could tap into similar geological formations with significant gas potential.
Source: libyaobserver.ly, libyaherald.com