Italy’s Eni Resumes Offshore Drilling in Libya after Five-Year Hiatus

Libya’s state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC) announced Sunday that Italian energy giant Eni has resumed exploratory offshore drilling operations in the northwest Mediterranean basin of Libya,  marking the end of a five-year suspension.

The activity was relaunched by Eni’s North Africa division and follows years of disruption caused by conflict and global health crises. Drilling had originally been suspended in 2020, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This resumption marks an important milestone in reactivating offshore energy exploration in Libya and confirms Eni’s long-term commitment to supporting the country’s energy future,” the NOC said in an official statement.

The resumption is the latest chapter in Eni’s gradual return to Libyan oil and gas fields. The company had already reinitiated some exploration activities in 2024, in collaboration with British oil major BP, following a decade-long hiatus in onshore drilling dating back to 2014 — the year Libya descended into civil conflict.

That year, the oil-rich North African nation split between rival eastern and western governments, paralyzing much of its energy infrastructure and scaring off foreign investors.

“Our cooperation with international partners is critical in restoring Libya’s place as a reliable global energy supplier,” an NOC official told CNN Business under condition of anonymity.

Since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya's oil sector, which boasts Africa’s largest proven reserves, has been plagued by frequent shutdowns, armed blockades, and political disputes. Production has fluctuated wildly, often falling well below the pre-conflict level of 1.6 million barrels per day.

Although intermittent truces and a U.N.-brokered political process have brought relative calm in recent years, the security environment remains fragile, and output remains vulnerable to local disruptions and militia activity.

The renewed drilling activity in the northwest offshore basin is seen as a strategic bet by Eni, which continues to view Libya as a cornerstone of its Mediterranean portfolio. The area holds significant untapped potential, and exploration success there could help boost European energy diversification efforts as the EU continues reducing dependency on Russian gas.

“With global energy dynamics shifting rapidly, Libya’s offshore resources could prove critical for regional supply security,” said Massimo Ferrari, an energy policy expert at Rome’s Institute for Global Affairs.

The NOC confirmed that Eni's operations will proceed with tight safety protocols and are being closely coordinated with Libyan authorities to avoid renewed instability or logistical setbacks.

Meanwhile, industry analysts warn that sustainable progress in Libya’s energy sector will depend heavily on continued political reconciliation and regulatory reforms to attract long-term investment.

Still, the symbolic return of Eni, one of Libya’s oldest and most trusted foreign energy partners, is being interpreted as a vote of confidence in the country’s gradual return to stability.