Eni Achieves Nooros Record Output
Eni said March 15 it has reached record production from its Nooros gas field, offshore Egypt, of 32mn m3/d, equivalent to 215,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d).
This production level represents the highest ever recorded by an Eni field in Egypt in the last 50 years and would equate on an annualised basis to 11.7bn m3/yr.
It has been reached thanks to the start-up of the NW-7 well, the thirteenth drilled within this field. Production levels will increase further by June 2018 when a 14th well, currently under drilling, will start-up - which Eni expects will boost Nooros to 34mn m3/d (230,000 boe/d).
In the Nile Delta concession where Nooros is located, Eni holds a 75% stake through its affiliate IEOC Production BV, while BP holds the remaining 25%.
Eni said that Nooros field was discovered in July 2015 in the Nile Delta offshore area and put into production in record time the following month. It is currently Eni's main gas producing field in its Egyptian asset portfolio as well as an example of the success of the company's integrated mode, and the company said it exemplifies Eni's "near field" exploration strategy, aimed at locating potential additional reserves located in proximity to already existing upstream infrastructures. Eni added that Nooros' development will also be optimised in the mid-term following the extension of the development lease that will entail new investments, in particular the construction of a new trunkline linking Nooros with the El Gamil onshore treatment plant by year end 2018 and early 2019, ensuring the above production level in the mid-term while maximising recoverable reserves.
Eni added that such measures will also include the start-up of Baltim SW (where Eni holds a 50% stake through IEOC Production, while BP holds the remaining 50%) and will allow the swift start-up of any future exploration potential in the Nile Delta area.
The Italian major has been present in Egypt since 1954, is the country's main producer with an equity production of more than 250,000 boe/d. It is already producing from phase 1 of the mega gasfield Zohr. Eni said earlier this week it is producing 400mn ft3/d at Zohr - equivalent to 4.1bn m3/yr (at gross 100%) which it expects to build to a near-term plateau of 1bn ft3/d, before a phase 2 development comes onstream late 2019 after which a new plateau of 2.8bn ft3/d is expected.