Italy’s Eni made a new gas discovery in the exploration prospect of Nkala Marine, offshore Congo.
The discovery was made in the Marine XII block, about 20 kilometers from the coast and 3 kilometers from the Nene Marine field, already in production, Eni said in a statement on Thursday.
The finding, realized through the Nkala Marine 1 well, is expected to have a potential of 250-350 million barrels of oil equivalent in place. During the production test, the well provided over 300,000 standard cubic meters per day of gas and associated condensates, according to Eni.
The well, drilled in a water depth of 38 meters, encountered a major gas and condensates buildup in the pre-salt clastic geological sequence of lower Cretaceous age, crossing a hydrocarbon column of 240 meters, the company added.
Eni estimates the resources in place of oil and gas discoveries made in the pre-salt Marine XII block to be approximately 5.8 billion barrels of oil equivalent. The production of the block, begun last December, is increasing and currently stands at around 15,000 boe per day.
Eni, through its subsidiary Eni Congo, is the operator of Marine XII block with a 65 percent stake. The other partners are New Age, with 25 percent stake, and the Congolese state company Societé Nationale des Pétroles du Congo, with 10 percent stake.
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Image: Eni