Italy's Eni starts Longhorn gas production

ROME, Nov. 2 (UPI) -- Italian oil and gas company Eni said production at the Longhorn gas field in the Gulf of Mexico could produce as much as 200 million cubic feet of gas per year.

Eni announced it started production at the gas field located 60 miles off the coast of Louisiana. The company is the operator of the field with Canadian-based energy company Nexen holding a 25 percent stake.

The company said production from the Longhorn field would reach 200 million cubic feet of gas per day in the early stages. The field consists of four offshore wells located in water depths of 2,500 feet.

Longhorn started producing gas following the initial exploration and discovery in 2006.

The Italian oil and gas company holds leases in 376 blocks in the Gulf of Mexico. Those developments produce roughly 100,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.