Eni has secured environmental approval from Italy's government for its Guendalina gas development in the northern Adriatic Sea. The project calls for a single production platform with two wells. First gas is scheduled for end-2010. Close to the maritime border with Malta, Northern Petroleum is set to be awarded offshore license d351c.R-.NR, covering an area of 100 sq km (39 sq mi). It includes an extension to a mapped prospect in an adjoining permit.

Repsol YPF has its first hydrocarbons discovery off Libya. The well was drilled in 50 m (164 ft) of water in block NC202 in the Sirte basin, awarded to the company and its partners in 2003. Initial production tests yielded flows of 1,264 b/d of 26[degrees] API oil and 16.4 MMcm/d (579MMcf/d) of gas.

Noble Energy has completed testing of its Dalit gas discovery in the deepwater Michal license in the Levantine basin. Equipment constraints limited tests to a 43-ft (13-m) section of the reservoir, which flowed at 33 MMcf/d. However, performance modeling suggests the well could be completed to achieve a rate of 200 MMcf/ d.

The company estimates Dalit's gross mean resources at 500 bcf. The semisubmersible Atwood Hunter has since returned to Noble's Tamar field in the same region for appraisal drilling. Tamar is thought to hold potential resources of 5 tcf.

Copyright PennWell Corporation Jun 2009

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