Italy Caltanissetta exploration basin

Report summary

The onshore sector of the Italy Caltanissetta Basin has a long exploration history and is now considered mature. It is thought the greatest yet-to-find volumes lie in the Plio-Pleistocene reservoirs of the deepwater Sicily Channel. However, a drilling moratorium was introduced in August 2010, which banned all drilling within five miles of the coast and within 12 miles of any marine protected area. Whilst the ban was partially lifted in 2012, the Government reintroduced restrictions as part of the 2016 budget. As a result of the ban, and the rising levels of bureaucracy that go with it, we do not forecast significant levels of exploration in the Plio-Pleistocene Deepwater play and have excluded the Outlook forecast from this basin analysis. If the situation changes, we will re-evaluate the exploration opportunities in the deepwater portion of the basin.