Italy's oil and gas giant Eni announced on Monday the start of natural gas production from the Argo Cassiopea Field, off the coast of Sicily, describing it as 'the most important gas development project in Italy.'
The field's reserves are estimated at around 10 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas, with peak annual production expected to reach 1.5 bcm, the company said in a statement.
The gas extracted from one of four subsea wells in the Strait of Sicily flows through a 60 km pipeline to the Gela processing plant and which will then be injected into Italy's national grid following processing.
The Argo Cassiopea production project is operated by Eni in a joint venture with Energean, London-based international hydrocarbon exploration and production company, and began production three years after the start of works.
'A dedicated installation of 3.6 megawatt-peak of photovoltaic panels will ensure the project achieves carbon neutrality for Scope 1 and 2 emissions,' according to the statement.
The project is seen as a cornerstone of Eni's strategy to enhance Italy's energy security and reduce emissions.
By Handan Kazanci
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr