Eni announced that production from South West Meleiha development lease has started. In addition, two near oil fields have been discovered in the Meleiha development lease in Western Desert, the company revealed in a statement.

Production is expected to be boosted around 7,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) in September, up from 5,000 boe/d.

Eni, through Petrobel, has successfully drilled a new structure on the Sidri South exploration prospect in the Gulf of Suez in the Abu Rudeis Sidri development lease, which resulted in another oil discovery. The new discovery may hold up to 200 million boe in place.

Eni has further successfully drilled and tested the El Qar’a-NE1 well in the Nile Delta area. This well found gas in the sandstones of the Abu Madi formation, with 17 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscf/d) of associated condensates.

Oil at the Meleiha Plant facilities is transported and refined by AGIBA, a company equally held by IEOC and the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC).

South West Meleiha Development Lease is located in the Egyptian Western Desert, some 130 Km North of the oasis of Siwa.

Other exploration wells are now planned to be drilled on the nearby prospects within the exploration area.

The Meleiha development lease has successfully developed existing shallow wells in the Alam El Bueib Cretaceous formation, which contribute with about 6,000 boe/d to the Meleiha production.

All these new actions in the Western Desert are contributing in excess of 15,000 boe/d to the AGIBA production.