“We expect 90 to 95 percent of our equity oil production (in Libya) to be restored by the end of the first half next year,” Claudio Descalzi said.

Eni was the largest foreign oil producer in Libya before the civil war and is keen to mend relations with interim government leaders after hesitant Italian support for the uprising in its early stages.

Eni Chief Executive Paolo Scaroni said earlier this month he expected Eni’s production levels in Libya to return to pre-crisis levels in about a year.

Descalzi said Eni expected gas imports from Libya via the Greenstream pipeline to reach 60 to 70 percent of pre-war volumes by the end of November.

Eni and Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) have launched tests of Greenstream, after flows were suspended in February because of the war, aiming to boost gas supplies to Italy ahead of winter, Eni said on Thursday.

Eni, which has operated in Libya since 1959, produced about 270,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2010. Its oil production contracts are in force until 2042 and its gas contracts until 2047.

Descalzi said Eni’s largest field in Libya, known as Elephant, was not damaged by the war and all facilities were in place. But it remained a risky area and it was still not clear when the output from the field could restart.

“As soon as the situation is clear, I think production can be restored in a few weeks,” he said.

Eni, which has a 33.3 percent stake in the Elephant field, keeps planning to sell half of its stake to Russian energy giant Gazprom , Descalzi said.

“The deal is still on,” he said without providing details.

Eni said in February that, pending approval by Libyan authorities, Gazprom would take 50 percent of its Elephant stake, which the Italian group valued at $170 million. In September, Eni reiterated it would press ahead with the deal.