• Eni resumes offshore drilling in Libya’s Area D after 5 years
• Project uses Scarabeo-9 rig under existing contract with NOC
• Move aligns with Eni’s push to expand North African gas output

Eni North Africa, a subsidiary of Italy’s Eni Group, has resumed offshore exploration northwest of Libya, local media reported on Sunday, citing the National Oil Corporation (NOC).

The new phase involves drilling well C1-16/4 in Area D (formerly MN41), about 95 km (59 mi) off the Libyan coast. The restart marks Eni’s return to offshore exploration, which was halted in 2020 due to the pandemic and logistical challenges linked to political instability.

Industry sources said the drilling is being conducted with the NOC under the existing Production Sharing Contract (PSC) for Area D, using the Scarabeo-9 rig in water depths of roughly 743 meters (2,437 feet).

Area D lies next to the Bahr Essalam gas field, also operated by Eni. Its subsea network connects to the Mellitah complex onshore and the Greenstream pipeline, which carries Libyan gas to Sicily, Italy.

Expanding Eni’s North African Footprint

The offshore restart follows an onshore campaign in the Ghadames Basin last year and aligns with Eni’s broader strategy to strengthen its North African portfolio. The company has also signed new contracts with Sonatrach in Algeria (2022), extended the Zohr gas field license, and secured new exploration blocks in Egypt’s Nile Delta (2023).

As part of efforts to help secure Europe’s energy supply, Eni is prioritizing offshore projects, which are generally considered safer than onshore operations exposed to tribal and political tensions.

Libya held 53 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of proven gas reserves at the end of 2023, with output estimated at 394 million cubic feet (mmcf) that year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Also in 2023, the NOC and Eni launched the Structures A & E offshore project, estimated to contain about 6 Tcf of gas.

These figures point to significant untapped potential, as production still comes largely from the onshore Sirte Basin. In April 2025, the NOC opened a new bidding round for 22 exploration blocks, including 11 offshore, marking the country’s first offshore tender since 2008.

Abdel-Latif Boureima