Why Libyan oil cannot transform Italy by 1942

Could Italy discover and exploit Libyan oil in time for a 1942 war?

No, because exploration, roads, drilling, pipelines, terminals, tankers, and production capacity would need to begin much earlier.

Oil production is a supply-chain project rather than a discovery alone. Even a known field needs access routes, equipment, export infrastructure, and years of sustained investment before it changes national fuel security. The historical timescale of later Libyan development illustrates why three extra years are insufficient.