Eni, TotalEnergies, 3 others unveil new projects to boost Libya’s oil output
By Mary Adenike
Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) and international energy companies, TotalEnergies, Eni, OMV, Repsol and Nabors have outlined key exploration milestones and strategies to advance oil and gas production in Libya.
This was revealed at the Libya Energy & Economic Summit 2025 on Saturday. According to a statement, TotalEnergies’ recent onshore exploration project and promising exploration opportunities in the Sirte and Murzuq basins were among the key developments highlighted.
Oil is the cornerstone of Libya’s economy, accounting for roughly 95 percent of its economic output. The country is among Africa’s top five oil producers, with about 1.4 million barrels daily.
But production challenges from political instability and infrastructure issues has affected production volumes. Recent efforts by the government has been focused on increasing output and improving operational efficiency.
“With 40 percent of Africa’s reserves, Libya remains largely untapped,” said Julien Pouget, senior vice president for the Middle East and North Africa at TotalEnergies. Pouget shared TotalEnergies’ plans for 2025, including the completion of an onshore exploration project and new exploration in the Waha and Sharara fields. “We expect results next week,” he added.
Luca Vignati, upstream director at Eni, expressed optimism for Libya’s potential and outlined the company’s ongoing investment initiatives in the country.
“We are launching three exploration plays – shallow, deepwater and ultra-deep offshore. No other country offers such opportunities,” Vignati said.
He also revealed the company’s investments in gas projects, including over $10 billion for the Greenstream gas pipeline and a CO2 capture and storage plant in Mellitah.
“Over the past decade, Libya has made remarkable efforts to fight natural field decline and encourage exploration,” said Francisco Gea, executive managing director of Exploration & Production at Repsol. “We have reached 340,000 barrels per day. The two million target is within reach, and as international companies, we have the responsibility to bring capacity and technology.”
Travis Purvis, senior vice president of Global Drilling Operations at Nabors, added that innovation is key to maximising production and accelerating exploration and that by deploying cutting-edge solutions, the company can enhance efficiency, reduce costs and ensure safer operations.
Bashir Garea, technical advisor to the chairman of the NOC, highlighted the country’s immense oil and gas potential.
“We have 48 billion barrels of discovered but unexploited oil, with total potential estimated at 90 billion barrels, especially offshore,” he said. He also pointed to Libya’s sizable gas reserves, noting, “Libya has 122 trillion cubic feet of gas yet to be developed. To unlock this potential, we need more investors and new technology, particularly for brownfield revitalization.”
