Progress made on Libya oil discoveries and production additions
13 April 2026
Libya is making progress in its oil and gas sector, with three new discoveries and new production brought online.
On 10 April, Libya’s state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC) said that Melitah Oil & Gas, its joint venture with Italy’s Eni, had returned its well, known as R11, to production at a rate of 2,062 barrels a day (b/d).
In a statement, it said: “The technical teams of Militah Oil & Gas Company were able to successfully restore the R11 well and return it to production, complemented by the installation of a submersible pump (ESP)”.
The well was brought online as part of Melitah Oil & Gas’ broader strategy to increase production incrementally by restarting unused wells and boosting flows from already producing wells.
Earlier this month, NOC chairman Masoud Suleiman said that Libya’s oil production had climbed to approximately 1.43 million b/d, its highest level in more than a decade.
Libya’s state-owned oil and gas company also announced three oil and gas discoveries in partnership with Spain’s Repsol, Algeria’s Sonatrach and Italy’s Eni.
NOC and Repsol Libya Branch (Remsa) made an onshore oil discovery following the drilling of exploration well J1-4/130 in Contract Area 131/130 in the Murzuq Basin, around 800 kilometres south of Tripoli.
The well reached a total depth of 1,318 metres and produced an average of 763 b/d from the Mummiyat Formation, according to a statement from NOC.
It is the fifth of eight wells agreed to under an exploration and production sharing agreement (EPSA), which was signed between NOC and Remsa in 2008.
NOC and Sonatrach Petroleum Exploration & Production Corporation Libya Branch (Sipex), the operator of Libya’s Contract Area 95/96, made a gas and condensate discovery from exploration well A1-69/02 in the Ghadames Basin, located 70km from the Wafa field.
The well reached a total depth of 2,572 metres and delivered production rates of 13 million standard cubic feet a day (cf/d) of gas and 327 b/d of condensate from the Awynat Wanin and Awyn Kaza formations.
It is the sixth of eight planned wells under a 2008 EPSA between NOC and Sonatrach.
NOC and Eni North Africa, the operator of Contract Area 4/16, made a gas discovery following the completion of offshore exploration well J1-4/16 in offshore Block D, approximately 95km from the Libyan coast.
The well reached a total depth of 3,188 metres.
Testing of the Metlawi reservoir produced flow rates of 14 million cf/d through a 32/64-inch choke in the first test and 24 million cf/d through a 62/64-inch choke in the second.
The well was the ninth and final contractual obligation under offshore Contract Block D, as stipulated in an agreement signed in June 2008.
Many stakeholders are expecting further progress in Libya’s oil and gas sector after the country’s two rival legislative bodies approved the first unified state budget in 13 years.
The approval was confirmed by the country’s central bank on 11 April.
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