After a three-year break, Libyan offshore exploration has again
restarted, Libya Herald reported on January 6. French oil giant Total
has started exploration at its Contract Areas 15, 16 & 32 with well
A1-16/3 following the arrival last month of the rig Zagreb 1 just east
of the Libyan-Tunisian offshore territorial line in the Pelagian Basin
and 85 kilometres north of Zuwara.
The area is known to be rich in gas
and oil reserves. The rig, owned by Croatian drilling contractors Crosco and built in
France in 1977, had been due to arrive last April but maintenance and
repair work in the shipyard in Trogir took longer than expected.
Drilling at A1-16/3 is expected to last 130 days, but if there is a
discovery the rig could stay another month for production tests. It is
then due to move to a second site, 30 kilometres northeast of Zuwara for
an estimated 146 days.
Again, if there is a discovery it could remain in place for another
month for tests. The cost of the exploration for the two new wells was
estimated last year by Total at around $120-130 million. Further tests
could cost another $15 million.
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