The HDLE/HDLS oil field is currently producing 10,000 barrels of oil per day
Eni announces the start-up of the HDLE/HDLS oil field. (Credit: ENI)
Italian energy company Eni has announced the start-up of the HDLE/HDLS oil field in the Algerian desert, nearly six months after its discovery.
The field is located in the Zemlet el Arbi concession in the Berkine North Basin.
Eni, together with Algeria’s state-owned oil company Sonatrach, made the hydrocarbon discovery in March 2022.
Currently, the HDLE/HDLS oil field is yielding 10,000 barrels of oil per day (bod).
According to the Italian energy company, the production at the oil field will be ramped up under an expedited development plan. As per the plan, the partners will drill new wells in 2023.
Zemlet el Arbi is operated by a joint venture in which Eni has a 49% stake, and Sonatrach holds a 51% stake.
As per preliminary estimates, the HDLE/HDLS discovery holds nearly 140 million barrels of oil.
Eni stated that bringing the HDLE/HDLS oil field on stream in six months’ time is due to its upstream business model, which is said to be based on the parallelization of project activities.
The production at HDLE/HDLS along with the recent start-up at Berkine South is expected to contribute towards the company surpassing 120,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed) of equity production in Algeria in 2023.
In July 2022, Eni and Sonatrach announced another discovery in Algeria, which was in the Sif Fatima II concession and located in the Berkine North Basin as well.
The discovery was made through the drilling of the Rhourde Oulad Djemaa Ouest-1 (RODW-1) exploration well.
Eni has been operating in Algeria since 1981 where it has interests in various concessions.