Eni Starts Up Mexican Oil Field

Italian Eni has started the early production phase from the Mizton field in Area 1, in the Campeche Bay offshore Mexico, it said July 2. This is the first step in the development of Area 1, estimated to hold 2.1bn barrels of oil equivalent in place (90% oil) in the Amoca, Mizton and Tecoalli fields. Eni acquired Area 1 in a competitive bid round in September 2015. It is the first field to come on stream since the ending of the Pemex monopoly, it said.

Production from the Mizton field platform, in 34 metres of water, is sent through a multiphase sealine to Eni’s beach terminal in Sanchez Magallanes, in the state of Tabasco. After separation, production is delivered to Pemex’s San Ramon plant for treatment. At time of press, it had not told NGW what will happen to the gas. Although the percentage is small, the quantity is sizeable.

Production has shown a "very good productivity index" and the early production phase now is expected to produce up to 15,000 b/d of oil. Full field production will start in early 2021 using a floating production, storage and offloading facility and reaching a plateau of 100,000 boe/d.

Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi said: “We have achieved production startup in less than two and half years after Eni started its first well in Area 1 and in less than one year from the approval of the plan of development. This is in line with the expectations of the Mexican government to increase the country’s overall production. Eni is the first international company to start offshore production in Mexico after the Energy Reform, and we look forward to continue working with the Mexican authorities.”