Production from the Zohr natural gas field started “in a record time for this type of field of less than two and a half years,” Eni claimed in a press release, Egypt Oil & Gas reports.

The field, the company noted, “has a potential in excess of 30 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of gas in place.”

“Today is a historic day for us. It further confirms the capability of Eni’s women and men to turn challenging opportunities into unprecedented achievements. The start-up of Zohr is the direct result of our unique know-how, our ability to innovate in technology and of our tenacity in pursuing even the most challenging goals, of which we are very proud…. It will completely transform Egypt’s energy landscape, allowing it to become self-sufficient and to turn from an importer of natural gas into a future exporter. I would like to thank the Egyptian Authorities and all our Partners in this incredible project for their all-important contributions and the whole Egyptian petroleum sector which provided full support to achieve Zohr project in a record time,” Eni’s CEO, Claudio Descalzi, said.

The government announced the start of production from the Zohr natural gas field on December 16th, Egypt Oil & Gas reported. The field is the largest natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Italian oil and gas company, Eni, discovered the field in 2015 and has led the development process. BP and Rosneft are also partners in the project.