Italian multinational oilfield services company Saipem has announced its pre-qualification to undertake EPCC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Hook-up, Commissioning, and Start-up) works for Production Platform E, part of the $8 billion Structures A&E Development Project. This announcement was made during the Libya-Italy Roundtable and VIP Networking Event in Rome on Monday.
The Structures A&E project, led by Mellitah Oil & Gas—a joint venture between the Italian multinational Eni and Libya’s National Oil Company—aims to boost gas production to supply both the Libyan domestic market and exports to Europe, targeting an ambitious output of 750 million cubic feet (mmcf/d) of gas per day by 2026.
Earlier this year, Mellitah Oil & Gas invited pre-qualifications for the development of Production Platform E. Giorfio Elia, Managing Director for North East Africa & Cyprus at Saipem, expressed the company’s commitment to Libyan projects. “We have pre-qualified for Platform E, which will give Libya one of the largest production platforms in the Mediterranean. It will be a challenging endeavor—over 60,000 tons, with one of the largest jackets in the industry,” he stated during the event.
The roundtable also served to launch the third edition of the Energy Capital & Power-sponsored Libya Energy & Economic Summit, set to take place in Tripoli next year. It celebrated the Libyan-Italian partnership in the upstream sector and aimed to create new pathways for cooperation in the energy industry.
In addition to the Structures A&E Development Project, Eni highlighted several significant gas initiatives in development, including the Bouri Gas Utilization Project, which aims to recover hydrocarbons from associated gas at two platforms on the Bouri field, alongside a carbon capture facility. Another gas production project is expected to come online in 2025, targeting an additional 100 mmcf/d.
Martina Opizzi, Head of North Africa & the Levant Region for Eni, emphasized the commitment to providing sufficient gas for Libya’s domestic needs while continuing to support exports and reducing the carbon footprint. She mentioned that the operator has “already signed some contracts” for all three projects.
Libya is also prioritizing enhanced oil recovery to maximize output from its mature oil fields and brownfield assets. The country is actively seeking international private sector partners to implement advanced technologies and carry out upgrades and maintenance works to enhance recovery rates and stabilize production.
“Short turnaround-time assets present a significant opportunity for companies like ours,” said Ibraheim Mejerissi, Managing Director of Wazen Oil Services. “There is immense potential in maintenance works in Libya, whether you’re a trader wanting to provide products or a service or engineering company,” he noted.
However, challenges in fiscal, political, and contractual stability persist, impacting Libya’s ability to attract foreign investment and the timely completion of ongoing projects.