A consortium of international oil companies have made a new gas discovery in the Block 95/96 concession area in Libya’s Ghadames basin, according to an announcement by state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC).

Sonatrach International Petroleum Exploration & Production Corporation (Sipex), the Libyan branch of Algeria’s state-owned oil firm, along with Oil India and Indian Oil Corporation, made the discovery at the B1-96/01 well, approximately 650 kilometres southwest of Tripoli.

The well is the third discovery well drilled by Sipex in the exploration and production sharing contract area since it was signed in May 2008.

Gas flows from the initial production tests in three Devonian formations were recorded at up to 12 million cubic feet a day (cf/d), according to NOC, along with 250 barrels a day (b/d) of condensates.