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Marine XII: the giant in the Republic of Congo

We began production of the field in 2015. The gas from the field powers the CEC plant (Centrale Electrique du Congo), which supplies electricity to the country.

The Marine XII permit and its development

In the Marine XII concession, off the coast of Congo, Eni has achieved major exploration successes since 2008, beginning with the discovery of the Litchendjili gas field, followed in 2012 and 2014 by the important successes of Nene and Minsala. Using the most modern 3D prospecting technology, and supported by the power of our supercomputers, we managed to analyze the geological history of Marine XII, successfully establishing the position of large natural gas deposits.

At present, the Marine XII permit, of which we are the Operator with a 65% stake, is divided into four Permis d'Exploitation (PEX) containing respectively the fields of Nenè and Litchendjili currently in production and the discoveries not yet developed of Minsala and Nkala. Producing hydrocarbons from these formations requires well technology which represents a novelty for the country. The rapid development of Marine XII was possible thanks to the ability to integrate with Eni's existing infrastructure and the possibility of exploiting the gas produced to feed local energy production through the CED and CEC power plants.

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Production started 16 months after discovery

Production in Nené Marine began in 2014, eight months after obtaining the production permit and 16 months after discovering it through exploration, validating the value of the Eni upstream model. The complete development  of the field is taking place through various phases and involves producing a plateau of 50,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day. Currently, phases 1 and 2A of the project have been completed. In 2019, phase 2B of the project began, with the installation of a new platform connected to the existing production infrastructure via an underwater pipeline. Drilling of the first well in phase 2B has already begun, in preparation for the early production launch, making the most of synergies with existing facilities. Litchendjili Marine started production in 2015 at the end of a strategic project of enhancement of gas for the domestic market, which also included the construction of the Centrale Electrique du Congo (CEC), completed in 2010, and the strengthening and upgrading of the country's electricity distribution network. Since 2020, with the start-up of the third gas turbine increasing the electricity generation capacity of the power station by 170 MW (Eni 20%), CEC generates approximately 70% of the country’s total electricity production. The domestic gas supply is ensured not only by the production of the Marine XII block but also by the onshore M'Boundi field.

A work in progress project: photo gallery

In 2019, we completed phase 2A of the Nené Marine project by putting a total of 15 wells into production, and during the course of the year we approved the implementation of phase 2B.

Safety first

Safety in the workplace is an imperative value for Eni, a value that requires the commitment of our employees, contractors and local stakeholders.  We are committed to a target of zero accidents and to protecting the integrity of our assets. We consolidate the safety culture, using management and organisation models, digital tools and communication initiatives. We aim to raise awareness among our people and enhance their sense of responsibility towards themselves and others, extending the HSE tools and digitalisation to make business processes safer, more efficient and faster.  

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Undersea pipework 17 km long.

The impact on the environment and the community

We have never done exploration or development work for hydrocarbons within the boundaries of Natural Sites on the UNESCO World Heritage list, and in May 2019, we formally committed never to do so, officially instating a Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (BES) policy that we had already followed in our operations and which is part of our path of transformation.  We are committed to long-term investment, going beyond profit priorities in the short term from the operating and social point of view, as recognised in our new company mission, which is inspired by the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.