OREANDA-NEWS. August 06, 2014. Eni has made an important gas and condensates discovery in the Nyonie Deep exploration prospect located in block D4, approximately 13 kilometers from the coast of Gabon and 50 kilometers from the capital city Libreville.

Preliminary estimates suggest the new gas discovery is significant, with initial potential in place estimated at 500 million boe. The discovery was made in the pre-salt of Gabon through the NFW Nyonie Deep 1 well, which was drilled in 28 meters of water depth, reaching a total depth of 4,314 meters.

The well encountered a thick hydrocarbon bearing section (320 meters) in the pre-salt clastic sequence of Aptian age. The structure, which extends more than 40 squared kilometers, covers two offshore exploration blocks, both operated by Eni (with a 100% stake.)

The discovery will be followed by an appraisal campaign to assess its potential, which will be carried out shortly. In the meantime, Eni will begin studies for the potential commercial exploitation of the field.

The discovery is the outcome of Eni’s exploration campaign which the Company is carrying out in the promising pre-salt plays of West Africa. This is the third field to be discovered recently in shallow waters in such plays, after Nene Marine and Litchendjili Marine in Congo. The total estimated potential of these discoveries is approximately 3 billion boe, with potential for further improvement.

These successes reflect the Company's strategy, which is based on maintaining high stakes which allow for the replacement of reserves and quick enhancement of exploration results, in the event of a discovery.

Eni has operated in Gabon through its affiliate Eni Gabon since 2009 and currently has exploration activities in 4 exploration licenses , 2 offshore (D3 and D4) and 2 onshore (E2 and F3).