

The Italian oil and gas company Eni has restarted oil and gas exploration activities in Libya after a five-year hiatus.
Eni’s North African unit has resumed work on exploratory well C1‑16/4, located off Libya’s northwest coast, according to the National Oil Corporation (NOC).
In March 2020, Ensco’s 4005 rig began drilling the C1‑16/4 well and reached a depth of 1,012 feet before operations were halted due to the Covid‑19 pandemic.
Ensco’s rig has now been replaced with Saipem’s Scarabeo-9, a sixth-generation semi-submersible drilling rig of Frigstad D90 design.
The Scarabeo‑9 is re‑entering the well to complete drilling operations, aiming to reach a planned final depth of 10,520 feet, the NOC said.
The exploratory well C1-16/4 is situated in Contract Area D, previously known as MN 41.
It lies at a water depth of about 743 metres, approximately 95 kilometres from the Libyan coast and around 15km from the Bahr Es Salam gas field.
Eni’s return to upstream exploration comes in the wake of US-based ExxonMobil signing an agreement to return to the North African country.
On 4 August, Exxon signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the NOC in London.
Under the terms of the non-binding MoU, ExxonMobil agreed to conduct a detailed technical study of four offshore blocks located near Libya’s northwest coast and the Sirte Basin.
Libya is trying to increase its national production capacity to 2 million b/d from the current level of around 1.3 million b/d.
READ THE OCTOBER 2025 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF
Private sector takes on expanded role; Riyadh shifts towards strategic expenditure; MEED’s 2025 power developer ranking
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the October 2025 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA 1: A new dawn for PPPs > AGENDA 2: GCC pushes PPPs to deliver $70bn pipeline > POWER DEVELOPER RANKING: Acwa Power consolidates power sector dominance > IPPs: GCC enters pivotal year for IPPs > ACQUISITION: Wood takeover could boost Sidara profits > INTERVIEW: SLB strives to boost regional standing > SAUDI MARKET FOCUS: Riyadh strives for sustainable growth |
You might also like...
Data discipline is the key to AI success in construction
26 February 2026
Qatar takes a quantum leap in fulfilling LNG ambitions
26 February 2026
Contractor appointed for UAE-Saudi power grid interconnection
26 February 2026
Egypt’s crisis mode gives way to cautious revival
26 February 2026
A MEED Subscription...
Subscribe or upgrade your current MEED.com package to support your strategic planning with the MENA region’s best source of business information. Proceed to our online shop below to find out more about the features in each package.
