Eni has discovered more gas offshore Congo, in the Nkala Marine prospect.

According to the company, the discovery is situated in the Marine XII block and is expected to have a potential of 250 to 350 million boe in place.

During the production test, the well provided over 300,000 SCM/d of gas and associated condensates. 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.

Eni is to drill more delineation wells in order to further evaluate the size of the discovery.“Meantime, together with the joint venture partners, the company will start studies for its commercial development which is framed in a context of optimized exploitation of the oil and gas discoveries in the Marine XII permit,” Eni told Offshore Energy Today.

However, Eni estimates the resources in place of oil and gas finds made in the pre-salt Marine XII block so far to be about 5.8 bboe.

The company revealed that production on the block, begun last December and is currently stands at about 15,000 boe/d.