Italian multinational oil and gas company Eni announced Thursday the start-up of the third production unit (T-2) of the Zohr Gas Field project, increasing its functional capacity to 1.2 billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d).

"Zohr is now producing 1.1 bcfd, equivalent to approximately 200 thousand boe/d [barrels of oil equivalent per day], of which 75,000 boe/d net currently go to Eni. This outstanding result has been achieved only a few months after the field’s start-up in December 2017," the company said in a press release.

"The third unit, following just one week after the second unit’s successful power-up, sets the project pursued by Eni, its co-venturers and Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) on track to reach a production level of two bcfd by the of end 2018, followed by a plateau of 2.7 bcf/d in 2019," it added.

Last Thursday, Eni announced a new oil discovery at the A-2X exploration prospect, located in the southwest Meleiha license in Egypt's Western Desert.

The well was first drilled by Eni to explore the deep geological sequences of the Faghur Basin, the company said.

Eni is Egypt's leading LNG producer, producing around 250,000 boe/d per day.