• Eni reports over 1 trillion cubic feet of new gas offshore Libya

• Discoveries could be tied to existing infrastructure for quick output

• Move reinforces Libya’s position in Italy’s energy supply chain

Italy’s energy group Eni announced on March 16 two new gas discoveries offshore Libya, with estimated reserves exceeding 1 trillion cubic feet.

According to the company, the finds were made in two adjacent structures, Bahr Essalam South 2 (BESS 2) and Bahr Essalam South 3 (BESS 3), drilled by the B2-16/4 and C1-16/4 wells. The sites are located about 85 kilometers offshore in waters around 650 feet deep. Gas-bearing intervals were identified in both wells within the Metlaoui formation, the area’s main producing reservoir.

Located 16 kilometers south of the Bahr Essalam field — Libya’s largest offshore gas field, in production since 2005 — the new discoveries can be developed through tie-backs to existing offshore platforms. Eni said output will supply both the domestic Libyan market and exports to Italy.

A renewed offshore push

The discovery caps a renewed offshore exploration campaign by Eni in recent months and is expected to further strengthen its position in Libya’s oil and gas sector, where it operates alongside other majors such as France’s TotalEnergies and U.S.-based ConocoPhillips.

Present in Libya since 1959, Eni is already the country’s leading foreign operator, with net production of about 162,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2025. Alongside three ongoing development projects — two of which are expected to come online in 2026 — the company secured a new offshore exploration license on February 11 through a tender launched by the National Oil Corporation (NOC). The block, covering nearly 29,000 square kilometers in the offshore extension of the prolific Sirte Basin, offers significant exploration potential.

Through its joint venture Mellitah Oil & Gas with the NOC, Eni also plays a central role in Libya’s gas sector. In 2024, the partnership announced plans to raise output to 750 million cubic feet per day by 2026, supporting Libya’s ambition to remain a key gas supplier to Europe, particularly Italy, via the Greenstream pipeline.

This ramp-up has already reshaped trade flows. In 2025, Libya became Italy’s top crude oil supplier, delivering 13.4 million tons — nearly a quarter of total imports — ahead of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Iraq. The country’s proximity to Italy helps cut transport time and costs.

More broadly, the discovery fits into Eni’s wider strategy across Africa, which combines the development of strategic assets with active portfolio management. In Côte d’Ivoire, the company signed an agreement in January to sell a 10% stake in the Baleine oil and gas field to Azerbaijan’s SOCAR, while retaining operatorship with a 37.25% share alongside Vitol (30%) and state-owned Petroci (22.75%).

Espoir Olodo