Nabors to add third drilling rig to Waha field in Libya
Global oil and gas drilling contractor Nabors has announced it will add a third drilling rig to the Waha oil field in Libya鈥檚 Sirte Basin. Expected to start operation in the coming weeks, the rig adds to the company鈥檚 current fleet of two rigs operating on the field.
The announcement was made by Nabors Vice President of Eastern Hemisphere Operations Tyson Seeliger during a U.S.-Libya Roundtable 鈥 Advancing Collaboration Between Libya and the U.S. in Energy Sector 鈥 at this year鈥檚 Libya Energy & Economic Summit 2025.
鈥淲e hope to start putting boots on the ground,鈥 Seeliger stated, adding, 鈥淩ight now, we have two drilling rigs in Waha, with the third about to start and we look forward to what鈥檚 coming in the future.鈥
Meanwhile, Executive Director of the U.S.-Libya Business Association Lydia Jabs, emphasized the U.S鈥 support for Libya, highlighting Libya鈥檚 role as a key partner in driving energy growth in the region and across the globe.
鈥淚 expect the next administration will see Libya as a key partner in global energy security and we hope to see continued support with our partners in the country,鈥 Jabs stated.
Vice President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Libya Ahmed Al-Ghazali encouraged U.S. companies to enter the country and partner with local companies. He emphasized the transfer of technology and knowledge as a requisite for Libyan companies to drive socioeconomic development, driven by a robust energy sector.
Through its partnership with TotalEnergies, energy supermajor ConocoPhillips has been operating in Libya for decades and boasts a significant portfolio of energy projects in the country. As such, ConocoPhillips President for Libya Dag Sanner highlighted that the company is currently in discussions with the Libya鈥檚 parastatal National Oil Corporation (NOC) to ensure further investments in the oil and gas sector in the coming years.
Last year, the energy majors 鈥 partners in the Waha oil field 鈥 requested extending the validity of contracts signed with the NOC to 2046 while increasing their profit margin in the field from 6.5% to 13%.
The roundtable also featured the participation of global technology company SLB, which announced its ambition to increase oil production in the country, contributing to the NOC鈥檚 stated goal of increasing output to 2 million barrels of oil per day by 2027.