The CEO of the Italian energy company Eni, Claudio Descalzi, has discussed future oil exploration in Libya with the head of the Presidential Council of the Government of National Accord.

Descalzi met with Fayez al-Sarraj on 30 July in Tripoli, according to a statement released by the company. 

The meeting took place after the recent start-up of the Bahr Essalam Phase 2 project.

Earlier this month Eni announced that phase two of Libya’s offshore Bahr Essalam project has started production. The development came three years after the final investment decision and should prolong the life of Libya’s largest producing offshore gas field. The project is operated by Mellitah Oil & Gas, which is a joint venture of Eni and Libya’s NOC. 

Phase two of the project will potentially increase production from the field by 400 million cubic feet a day (cf/d). 

Eni is the main supplier of gas to Libya’s domestic market.

Domestic gas consumption in Libya has doubled in the last four years, with an average of 20 million cubic meters a day being consumed by the country’s power plants. 

The domestic gas power plants have an electricity generation capacity of over 3 GW. 

Eni had a 66 per cent rise in second quarter profit amid higher oil prices and increased production from sites in Libya and Egypt.

Adjusted net profit rose to €767m ($893.3 million), but fell short of an analyst consensus forecast of €1bn.