Quantities of natural gas that, according to preliminary estimates, total between 2-3 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) have been discovered in the "Zeus-1" target within Block 6 of the Republic of Cyprus' Exclusive Economic Zone.

The consortium made up of Eni Cyprus Limited (Operator) and TotalEnergies EP Cyprus B.V. successfully completed an exploratory well, the Ministry of Energy, Trade, and Industry announced on Wednesday.

Drilling, undertaken by drill ship "Tungsten Explorer" at a distance of 162 kilometers off the coast of Cyprus, 5 kilometers west of the "Cronos-1" well, and in a water depth of 2,300 meters "revealed the existence of a 105-metre column of clean natural gas, with quantities that, according to preliminary estimates, total between 2 and 3 trillion cubic feet (Tcf)."

The "Zeus-1" discovery, the third in a row by the licensed consortium in Block 6, following "Calypso-1" and "Cronos-1", has also been successfully tested in terms of its technical quality characteristics. The finding confirms the region's bright energy potential, says the Ministry.

The results of the latest drilling are being incorporated, by Eni and TotalEnergies, into the studies conducted for this very purpose, according to the announcement from the Ministry of Energy. The Ministry and the consortium have already begun to examine ways to speed up and optimize the exploitation of the discoveries in Block 6 of the EEZ of Cyprus.