Italian oil and gas company Eni is targeting 2027 for its first exploration well on Block 24, offshore the Republic of Congo, subject to the results of ongoing seismic data analysis. Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi outlined the plan on October 9 after talks with Congolese President Denis Sassou N’Guesso in Brazzaville.
After the meeting, Descalzi said the company was analyzing seismic data to determine whether it could drill the well in 2027. He also reported that Eni had increased its production to nearly 160,000 barrels per day, according to Les Dépêches de Brazzaville. The executive discussed ongoing work to rehabilitate the Djéno-Pointe-Noire-Brazzaville power transmission line and a study examining an increase in the Djéno power plant’s installed capacity to 600 megawatts (MW) and eventually 1,000 MW.
Eni’s Oil and Gas Operations in Congo
Eni also has significant natural gas operations in Congo. Its Congo LNG project reached a total liquefaction capacity of 3 million tons per year following the start of exports from its second phase, the company said in a statement published on February 7. At the time, Eni projected that its equity production in Congo would reach 110,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2026, up from approximately 70,000 in 2025.
According to data from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Congo’s crude oil production stood at 278,000 barrels per day in August 2026, down from 281,000 in July. The country aims to increase hydrocarbon production to 500,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day by 2030, according to Agence Ecofin.
Eni operates the offshore Marine XII block, which supplies gas to its Congo LNG project. In March 2023, Eni and its partner Lukoil were also reported to have submitted a joint bid for the Marine 24 and Marine 31 offshore blocks. Reuters reported at the time that the bidding process had not been completed and that no licenses had yet been awarded.
Source: ecofinagency.com