TRIPOLI, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The National Oil Corporation (NOC) of Libya on Monday announced two significant gas discoveries estimated at around 1 trillion cubic feet (28.32 billion cubic meters) in offshore waters in the northwest of the country.
The company said its foreign partner, Eni North Africa, confirmed the gas reserves after completing exploratory drilling of two wells in adjacent offshore geological structures, 16 km south of the Bahr Essalam gas field, a major source of Libyan natural gas.
It added that it is preparing an urgent development plan to connect the two new wells to the Bahr Essalam offshore platform, expecting the two discoveries to contribute approximately 130 million cubic feet (3.68 million cubic meters) of gas per day.
According to Eni, the gas to be produced will be supplied to the Libyan domestic market and exported to Italy.
Oil and gas exports are Libya's primary source of income, though the sector has faced setbacks in recent years due to domestic conflicts and political instability. ■