Italian multinational oilfield services company Saipem announced it has pre-qualified to carry out EPCC works for Production Platform E – part of the $8-billion Structures A&E Development Project – during the Libya-Italy Roundtable and VIP Networking Event in Rome on Monday.

Led by Mellitah Oil & Gas – a joint venture between Italian multinational Eni and Libya’s National Oil Company – the Structures A&E project aims to increase gas production to supply the Libyan domestic market and exports to Europe, targeting 750 million cubic feet of gas per day (mmcf/d) by 2026. Mellitah Oil & Gas launched the invitation for pre-qualification for the Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Hook-up, Commissioning and Start-up of Production Platform E earlier this year.

“We are committed to Libyan projects,” said Giorfio Elia, Managing Director – North East Africa & Cyprus for Saipem. “We have pre-qualified for Platform E, which will give Libya one of the biggest production platforms in the Mediterranean. It will be challenging – it’s a more than 60,000-ton platform, with one of the largest jackets in the industry.”

The announcement was made during an oil and gas-focused roundtable at the Libya-Italy Roundtable and VIP Networking Event, which outlined the country’s current exploration and development prospects. In addition to the Structures A&E Development Project, Eni highlighted several major gas projects under development, including the Bouri Gas Utilization Project – which will recover hydrocarbons from associated gas from two platforms installed on the Bouri field, accompanied by a carbon capture facility – and another 100-mmscf/d gas production project set to come online in 2025.

“We are committed to providing enough gas to Libya to meet domestic needs and continue exporting, while at the same time reducing our carbon footprint,” said Martina Opizzi, Head of North Africa & the Levant Region for Eni, adding that the operator has “already signed some contracts” for all three projects.

In addition to gas monetization, Libya is prioritizing enhanced oil recovery to maximize output from mature oil fields and brownfield assets. As a result, the country is looking to international private sector partners to implement advanced technologies and carry out upgrades and maintenance works to boost recovery rates and stabilize production. 

“Short turn-around-time assets are a major opportunity for companies like ourselves,” said Ibraheim Mejerissi, Managing Director of Wazen Oil Services. “There is a huge potential [in maintenance works] in Libya, whether you’re a trader wanting to provide products, or a service or engineering company.”

Looking ahead, challenges in fiscal, political and contractual stability remain for Libya, which continues to face long project lead times that impede foreign investment and the timely completion of ongoing projects. Italian engineering and general contracting firm RENCO, for instance, was awarded a contract for the 36 MW Sarir Power Plant in 2013, yet only commissioned the plant in June this year owing to geopolitical uncertainty and delays in payments.

“We need to start projects with bonds, credit letters and tools from the financial point of view that provide support and create certainty from the banking system,” said Alessandro Galli, Industrial Plants Division Director for RENCO.

“We need to find a way with our operators to ensure projects are secured and can enter into operation,” added Nicola Ghirelli, Energy Maintenance & Production Services Director at Bonatti, which is currently nearing completion of EPC works for Nafusah Oil Operation at a project in western Libya.

The Libya-Italy Roundtable and VIP Networking Event served to launch the third edition of the Energy Capital & Power-sponsored Libya Energy & Economic Summit taking place in Tripoli next year, as well as to celebrate the Libyan-Italian connection in the upstream space and forge new pathways to cooperation and partnership in the energy sector.