The Italian Eni announced a second light oil discovery in the B1-X exploration prospect located in the South West Meleiha license in Egypt's Western Desert, some 130 km north of the Siwa Oasis. The well is the second one drilled by Eni to explore the deep geological sequences of the Faghur Basin. The SWM B1-X well has been drilled 7 km away from the first discovery, named SWM A2-X, to a total depth of 4,523 metres, according to a press statement by the company. Eni plans, in the near term, to drill other exploratory prospects located near the A2-X and B-1X discoveries to consolidate what could result in a new productive area for Eni in Egypt. The production is expected to be routed to already existing infrastructures and then shipped to El Hamra Terminal through existing pipelines, after the approval of the development plan by the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources. The well has been opened to production in the sandstones and delivered 5,130 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) of light oil with low associated gas. Eni has been the main producer, with approximately 300,000 boepd. Such production is expected to further grow within the year, thanks to the ramp up of the Zohr field. In May, the company had announced a new oil find in the same area in the Faghur Basin. At the time, the company said that the new well opens the potential for more discoveries.
