Status of Exploration in the Mediterranean and Future Activity

Claudio Villa

During the past ten years hydrocarbon exploration in the Mediterranean region has been carried out with a reasonably enthusiastic effort. The level of offshore drilling cannot compare to the North Sea, where the number of completed wildcats has been about three times the completions registered in the Mediterranean Sea. However, only 20% of the approximate 2.5 million km² of the Mediterranean has water depths of less than 200 m. The remaining 80% of the area is covered by deep to mostly very deep water and today is still considered a long-range frontier target for petroleum exploration.

Since the major extensions of the prospective shelves are located in Italy, Libya, Tunisia, and Spain, it is logical that most of the offshore exploration has been carried out in these countries. In particular, more than 40% of these exploratory wells have been drilled in Italian waters during the past decade.

Even though a couple of significant discoveries have been found, the remaining recoverable reserves have slowly and continuously diminished. Most of the Mediterranean shelf is relatively unexplored, yet future discoveries are projected to be of minor proportions. The area is indeed geologically complex. It is bordered by Tertiary mountain chains. The petroleum objectives are mainly in platform areas and in Neogene to Quaternary troughs that resulted from mountain-building episodes. Most prospects are subtle traps, and many will be found only with the application of up-to-date technology. These plays will be located in the overthrusts, in the deep floundered platforms, and in the deep-sea basins. Also, interesting exploration areas in which all operations have been stopped for some yea s will likely become available when boundary disputes are resolved.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #91032©1988 Mediterranean Basins Conference and Exhibition, Nice, France, 25-28 September 1988.