Eni Discovers Giant Gas Field in Indonesia
Italian company Eni has discovered a giant natural gas field on the Indonesian continental shelf, the company’s press service reports.
The discovery was made while drilling the Geliga-1 exploration well in the Ganal block, approximately 70 kilometres off the coast of East Kalimantan. Preliminary estimates indicate resources of about 5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas (approximately 141.6 billion cubic metres) and 300 million barrels of gas condensate.
Exploration Details
The Geliga-1 well has a depth of approximately 5,100 metres, while the water depth in the drilling area is about 2,000 metres. The gas reservoir was discovered in a Miocene formation with “excellent petrophysical properties”. In the near future, Eni plans to conduct a Drill Stem Test (DST).
According to Eni, the Geliga discovery is part of a successful series of exploration activities in the Kutei Basin. At the end of 2023, the Geng North field was discovered just 20 kilometres south of Geliga, followed by the Konta-1 field in December 2025. These results confirm the potential for large-scale resource development in the area.
The new discovery follows the final investment decision on the Gendalo and Gandang projects (Southern Hub), as well as Geng North and Gehem (Northern Hub). Within the Northern Hub, plans include the use of a floating production, storage and offloading unit with a capacity of 1 billion cubic feet per day of gas and 90 thousand barrels per day of gas condensate, as well as the Bontang liquefied natural gas plant.
Development Outlook
Eni is considering options to accelerate the development of the field, given its proximity to existing infrastructure. Geliga is located near the undeveloped Gula field, which holds 2 trillion cubic feet of gas and 75 million barrels of gas condensate.
The combined potential of Geliga and Gula includes:
- up to 1 billion cubic feet per day of gas;
- around 80 thousand barrels per day of gas condensate.
These resources create the potential for establishing a third production hub in the Kutei Basin. The possibility of extending the operational life of the Bontang LNG plant through increased utilisation is also being considered.
Over the past six months, Eni has successfully drilled four additional exploration wells in the same basin. In 2026, the company plans to drill one well, followed by two more in 2027.
The Ganal block is being developed jointly with a Chinese partner. The project participation shares are: Eni – 82%, Sinopec – 18%. In addition, this asset is part of a portfolio of 19 blocks (14 in Indonesia and 5 in Malaysia) that will be transferred to Searah, a joint venture between Eni and Petronas. The creation of Searah was announced in November 2025, with completion of the transaction expected in the second quarter of 2026.
Eni has been operating in Indonesia since 2001. The company’s average production in the country is 90 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day, primarily generated by the Jangkrik and Merakes fields.
