Italian major ENI says it has made two new gas discoveries in Libya as a result of an exploration campaign initiated in the past months.

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 85 km off the coast in about 650 feet of water, and 16 km south of the Bahr Essalam gas field.

Gas-bearing intervals were encountered in both wells within the Metlaoui Formation, 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.

Preliminary volumetric estimates indicate that the BESS 2 and BESS 3 structures jointly contain more than 1 trillion cubic feet (1 Tcf) of gas of gas in place. 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. The gas produced will be supplied to the Libyan domestic market and for export to Italy.