The President of Mexico Enrique Peña Nieto and Eni's Chief Executive Officer Claudio Descalzi met in Mexico City. During the working meeting, also attended by the Secretary of Energy Pedro Joaquín Coldwell, Mr Descalzi outlined Eni’s oil & gasactivities and plans in the country, with particular reference to Area 1 (Eni 100%) where Eni has successfully drilled the Amoca-2 well, in the shallow waters of the Campeche Bay, finding oil on several levels with a meaningful upside to original estimates. The well is the first to be drilled by an international oil major in Mexico since the 2013 energy reform.

The central item discussed was the development of the Amoca field, where Eni is studying the possibility of an early production phase, to anticipate the start-up of the field. A new well, Amoca-3, is currently being drilled in an unexplored part of the field that, in case of positive results, might add further reserves.

“I consider Mexico a country of great interest for Eni, with a huge potential,” Mr Descalzi said. “Our engagement in Area 1 is the first step of Eni’s growth in Mexico, as we plan to expand our presence in the country in the future. Area 1 is the ideal project to leverage our strong expertise in bringing similar developments on stream, optimizing time to market and costs.”

Eni has been present in Mexico since 2006 with a representative office, and created its wholly owned subsidiary Eni México in late 2015.