Eni’s first well drilled to explore the deep geological sequences of the Faghur Basin in Egypt’s Western Desert has hit oil.

The company said May 3 that exploratory well SWM A-2X, located in the South West Meleiha license, encountered 18 m (59 ft) of light oil in the Paleozoic sandstones of Dessouky Formation of Carboniferous age. Drilled to a depth of 5,090 m (16,700 ft), the well also hit other hydrocarbon levels in the Alam El Bueib sandstones of Cretaceous Age, Eni said.

The well has been opened to production in the Dessouky sandstones and delivered 2,300 barrel of oil per day of light oil (32° API) and 0.4 million standard cubic feet per day associated gas.

Eni said it plans to drill other exploratory prospects located near the A2-X discovery in the near term. If successful, that could open a new productive area in Egypt.

Based on Competent Authority’s approval, Eni said production is expected to be linked to already existing nearby infrastructures and then shipped to El Hamra Terminal through existing pipelines.

Eni, through its subsidiary IEOC, holds a 100% stake in South West Meleiha license. IEOC through its Operating Company AGIBA, which is equally held by IEOC and the Egyptian General Petroleum Corp. (EGPC), currently produces 55,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, from the Egyptian Western Desert, Eni said.