ENI set to start drilling off Cyprus
The Transocean Barents floating drilling rig has set sail from Limassol and is en route to the Cronos gas field. It will conduct drilling operations on behalf of the Italian company ENI in the Cronos-2 area in Block 6 of the Cypriot exclusive economic zone (EEZ), approximately 160 kilometers southwest of Cyprus, according to a report from the Cyprus News Agency.
Informed sources indicate that the drilling is anticipated to continue until the end of the year or into early 2024. The floating rig recently completed drilling activities in Lebanon’s EEZ on behalf of TotalEnergies, finishing around the end of October.
Notably, in August 2022, Italian energy company ENI had announced the discovery of an estimated 2.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the Cronos-1 well. It was mentioned that there is potential for further exploration through additional drilling in the region.
The Cronos-2 drilling marks the company’s third well in Block 6, following previous drilling at the Cronos-1 target and the Calypso field in 2018.
ENI operates this block with a 50% stake, and TotalEnergies holds a similar share in the endeavor.
