The National Oil Corporation (NOC) has confirmed three new discoveries. in offshore western Libya, the Murzuq Basin, and the Ghadames Basin. Each with a different partner, each adding a new layer to Libya's upstream revival.
NOC and Eni North Africa: Offshore Gas Discovery in Block D
NOC and Eni North Africa, operator of Contract 4/16, have successfully completed drilling of exploration well J1-4/16, resulting in a new gas discovery approximately 95 kilometers off the western Libyan coast.
Tests of the Metlawi reservoir confirmed strong flow rates across two stages, 14 MMcf/d through a 32/64-inch choke in the first test, and 24 MMcf/d through a 62/64-inch choke in the second. The well marks the completion of nine contractual obligations under offshore Block D, fulfilling the terms of the agreement signed in June 2008.
NOC and Repsol: Oil Discovery in the Murzuq Basin
Adding to the wave of discoveries, the NOC and Repsol Libya Branch (REMSA) have announced a new oil discovery following the drilling of exploration well J1-4/130 in Contract Area 131/130, located approximately 800 kilometers south of Tripoli in the Murzuq Basin.
The well reached a final depth of 4,325 feet and is currently producing an average of 763 barrels of oil per day from the Mummiyat Formation. It represents the fifth of eight contractual commitments under the Exploration and Production Sharing Agreement (EPSA) signed between NOC and REMSA in 2008.
NOC and Sonatrach: Oil and Gas Find in the Ghadames Basin
The momentum continues with the NOC, Sonatrach Petroleum Exploration and Production Corporation Libya Branch (SIPEX), operator of Contract Area 95/96, having announced a new oil and gas discovery following the drilling of exploration well A1-69/02, located 70 kilometers from the Wafa field.
The well was completed to a final depth of 8,440 feet and is delivering production rates of 13 MMcf/d of gas and 327 barrels of condensate per day from the Awynat Wanin and Awyn Kaza formations. This is the sixth of eight planned wells under the EPSA signed between NOC and Sonatrach in May 2008.
Three discoveries. Three partners. Three basins. That's not a coincidence. It's a signal.
Libya's upstream is delivering again, and the companies that stayed in are seeing results.
Eni, Repsol, and Sonatrach have been working under agreements signed back in 2008. The fact that all three are still drilling and finding is a quiet but important signal: the framework works, the geology holds, and NOC is a partner worth working with.
For anyone watching North Africa right now, Libya is worth a closer look.
