Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jul 13, 2025

Bahrain starts exploratory offshore drilling for oil and gas

Bahrain starts exploratory offshore drilling for oil and gas

Bahrain's National Oil and Gas Authority (NOGA), in cooperation with the Italian Eni oil company, has started drilling the first exploration oil well in Block No. 1, which is an offshore area of over 2,800 km2, situated in the northern territorial waters of Bahrain with water depth ranging from 10m up to 70m, the Bahrain News Agency reported on Wednesday.
The drilling is part of the exploration and production sharing agreement signed between NOGA and Eni on May 1, 2019, to pursue petroleum exploration and production activities.

Commenting on the development, Bahrain's Oil Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa praised King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa’s sound directives and unlimited support, lauding the major role played by the higher committee for energy and natural resources, led by Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, which seeks to increase Bahrain’s energy sources and support the national economy.

The oil minister highlighted NOGA’s strong relations with the Italian company, Eni, which is one of the largest international companies that possess advanced technologies, long experience, and qualified competencies in the field of drilling and exploration, adding that the move marks is one of the important moments in investing in the kingdom’s marine natural resources.

He indicated that the Italian company, Eni, had already completed environmental and seabed surveys, ahead of the commencement of the drilling, adding that drilling operations are likely to continue for several months.

The minister stressed that exploration and exploration operations require several attempts, effort, time and continuous coordination with a number of the world's specialized companies to achieve the forecast economic goals.

The minister pointed out that Tatweer Petroleum Company had carried out a series of advanced geological and geophysical surveys, and drilled a number of experimental wells, noting that the results contributed to enhancing the high probability of the existence of quantities of oil and gas in the offshore areas.

He asserted that Tatweer Petroleum had completed all the technical and logistical preparations and procedures to pave the way for major international oil companies to invest in marine blocks (2,3,4), thus attracting these specialized international companies to sign exploration and production-sharing agreements.

It will also participate in international oil forums to meet with a number of specialized international companies and highlight Bahrain’s investment opportunities.

Under the terms of the Exploration and Production Sharing Agreement, Eni is committed to drilling the exploration well, and conducting a number of geological studies.

If encouraging results are reached, the company may move to the later stages of the agreement, which may include conducting geological and seismic surveys and drilling additional wells in this block.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
×