Indian Oil Corporation has reported a fresh oil and gas discovery in its onshore Libyan exploration block, marking a significant advancement in one of India’s most active overseas upstream programmes. The find was confirmed following the drilling of the sixth exploratory well in Block Area 95/96, situated in the Ghadames Basin of south-western Libya.
The corporation holds a 25 percent participating interest in the block as part of an Indian consortium, with the exploration programme operated by Sonatrach International Petroleum Exploration and Production Corporation. Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) has formally recognised the well as an additional hydrocarbon discovery in the block following initial testing and evaluation.
Block Area 95/96 spans approximately 6,600 square kilometres within what Indian Oil describes as a well-established hydrocarbon province. Of the eight wells approved under the consortium’s exploration programme, five have already been drilled, with earlier campaigns yielding multiple oil and gas discoveries that underscored the block’s strong geological prospectivity.
Indian Oil said detailed appraisal and evaluation activities are planned to assess reservoir characteristics, firm up resource estimates, and examine the commercial potential of the latest find. The corporation described the discovery as an important milestone in its overseas upstream portfolio, consistent with its strategy of strengthening its international exploration and production footprint through selective, high-potential partnerships with global operators.
Source: aninews.in