The Algerian energy giant Sonatrach has resumed its oil exploration operations in Libya after more than ten years of suspension, the National Oil Corporation (NOC) announced. The company’s Libyan branch restarted activities in mid-October at Block 96/2 in the Ghadames Basin, near the Libyan-Algerian border.
According to the NOC, Sonatrach has begun completing drilling operations at the A1-96/2 exploration well, which it initially started in April 2014. Drilling had reached a depth of 8,090 feet before being halted in May 2014 due to the unstable security situation in the region. The company now aims to reach a final depth of 8,440 feet.
The exploration site lies within Contract Area 95/96 in the Ghadames Basin, approximately 100 kilometres from the Al Wafa field operated by Mellitah Oil & Gas and about 800 kilometres southwest of the Libyan capital, Tripoli.
Sonatrach originally signed the Exploration and Production Sharing Agreement (EPSA IV) with Libya’s National Oil Corporation in 2008, serving as the operator for the block. The move marks a significant step in reactivating Libya’s energy partnerships with neighbouring countries and revitalising exploration projects that had been frozen amid years of instability.
The NOC welcomed Sonatrach’s return, describing it as a positive signal for Libya’s oil sector and a sign of renewed investor confidence in the country’s improving security and operational conditions. Industry observers believe the resumption could pave the way for further regional cooperation and foreign investment in Libya’s vital hydrocarbons sector.
