JUST IN: Italian oil major makes huge gas discovery in Nigeria

An Italian oil major, Eni, has said that it has made a huge gas and condensate discovery onshore Niger Delta.

Eni said on Tuesday that through its affiliate, Nigerian Agip Oil Company, it made a significant gas and condensate find in the deeper sequences of the Obiafu-Obrikom fields, in Oil Mining Lease 61.

It said the Obiafu-41 deep well had reached a total depth of 4.374 m, encountering an important gas and condensate accumulation within the deltaic sequence of Oligocene age comprising more than 130m of high-quality hydrocarbon-bearing sands.

“The find amounts to about one trillion cubic feet of gas and 60 million barrels of associated condensate in the deep drilled sequences,” Eni said in a statement.

According to the Italian firm, the discovery has further potential that will be assessed with the next appraisal campaign.

It said, “The well can deliver in excess of 100 million standard cubic feet/day of gas and 3,000 barrels/day of associated condensates, and will be immediately put on-stream to increase NAOC’s gas production.

“The discovery is part of a drilling campaign planned by NAOC JV and aimed at exploring near-field and deep pool opportunities as immediate time to market opportunities.”

According to the statement, Eni has been present in Nigeria since 1962, with operated and non-operated production, development and exploration activities on a total of 30,049 square kilometres in the onshore and offshore areas of the Niger Delta.

In 2018, Eni’s equity hydrocarbon production amounted to 100,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, it added.