Eni’s Arcadia field on production just 45 days after discovery

Eni has started oil production from the Arcadia field, in the Western Desert of Egypt, only 45 days after its discovery.

The Arcadia 1X well, located in the historical Meleiha Concession, has been put into production from the Alam El Bueib formation (Lower Cretaceous) using the nearby operated facilities of Meleiha. Additional gas potential has been also proved by testing the well in the deeper Katatba formation (Jurassic).

The short time to market of this field is a result of the company’s strategy to focus on fast-track development of conventional and synergic assets. To fully develop the new discovery, four more wells will be drilled in 2010 and 2011 to produce up to approximately 3,000 boe/day.

The drilling of the Arcadia 1X well is part of a strategy to refocus exploration activities in Egypt by targeting deeper layers in the Western Desert, as well as better appraising already discovered volumes. To this end, a new 3-D seismic survey over the Melehia Concession has started, targeting deep Lower Cretaceous and Jurassic formations, which still bear significant un-exploited exploration potential in the area.