Eni has made a new discovery on the Yopaat-1 EXP exploration well in Block 9, approximately 63 kilometres off the coast in the mid-deep water of the Cuenca Salina in the Sureste Basin, offshore Mexico. The preliminary estimates indicate a discovered potential of around 300-400 million barrels equivalents (Mboe) of oil and associated gas in place.
The well has been drilled in a water depth of 525 metres and reached a total depth of 2,931 metres, finding about 200 metres net pay of hydrocarbon bearing sands in the Pliocene and Miocene sequences, subject to an intense subsurface data acquisition campaign.
The Block 9 joint venture comprises Eni as operator with a 50 per cent participating interest and Repsol with the remaining 50 per cent.
"This successful result, alongside the discoveries in Eni-operated Blocks 7 and 10, confirms the value of Eni’s asset portfolio in the Sureste Basin," said Eni. "The overall estimate of resources in place currently exceeds 1.3 billion barrels of oil equivalent (Bboe) which allows Eni to advance with the studies towards a potential future 'Hub' development, including the discoveries and other prospects present in the area, in synergy with the infrastructures located nearby."
Eni has been present in Mexico since 2006 and established its wholly owned subsidiary Eni Mexico in 2015. Currently, Eni is the primary foreign operator in the country and holds rights in eight exploration and production blocks, seven as operator, in the Sureste Basin in the Gulf of Mexico.