Uchenna Izundu
OGJ International Editor
LONDON, Aug. 14 -- Italy’s Eni SPA will investigate oil and gas development opportunities in the Cuvette basin and in the east of Congo (former Zaire) under an agreement signed with the government.
Eni is interested in both conventional and unconventional hydrocarbons, it said, and will focus on the great lakes, northern Kivu, and Tanganika lake in the east.
Eni Chief Executive Officer Paolo Scaroni signed the strategic agreement with Congo Oil Minister Rene Isekemanga Nkeka.
“With this agreement, Eni further strengthens its presence in the sub-Saharan region, where it is already present in Nigeria, Gabon, Congo (Brazzaville), Angola, and Mozambique with an overall production of 450,000 boe/d and a significant, successful exploration activity,” said Eni.
This cooperation builds upon a separate announcement this week where Scaroni met with Ghana’s president, John Evans Atta-Mills to emphasize the importance of the country for oil and gas production.
Scaroni said that the company was keen to foster a “new and durable partnership with Ghana.”
Ghana is set to make its oil debut next year from the huge Jubilee field operated by Tullow Oil PLC and Kosmos Energy Inc. The partners will tap 300 million bbl in the first phase through a floating, production, storage, and offloading vessel with a plateau oil rate of 120,000 b/d, water injection capacity of 230,000 bw/d, and gas export and injection capacity of as much as 160 MMscfd.
Contact Uchenna Izundu at [email protected].
Map from Sintana Energy.
