In Libya, Eni’s CEO Claudio Descalzi (photo) met with the Prime Minister, Fayez Serraj, to confirm the company’s commitment in ensuring the continuity of its Libyan operations as well as support the National Oil Corporation (NOC) in its struggles to boost production.

“Eni has also been cooperating with NOC to sustain the Libyan economy by contributing to increase domestic gas consumption, thus allowing the country to leverage its vast national resources from local power plants, rather than importing alternative fuels. Eni and the NOC still have major oil and gas reserves to develop, in both onshore and offshore areas, and Eni is ready to play a key role as a strategic partner,” Descalzi said.

A week ago, Eni granted Technip a contract worth €500mn-€1bn to improve the southern extension of Libya's offshore Bahr Essalam gas field. Offshore installation on the gas field is expected from H2 of 2017 till H2 of 2018.

Descalzi in March, revealed that it was safer to work offshore than onshore Libya. Many oil companies in the country still have their operations shut in and Libya’s oil production has been dropping since 2014.

Libya’s export of gas to Italy at 7.11bcm in 2015 were almost equal with those from Algeria at 7.24bcm. Gas from Libya is transported to Italy through the Greenstream pipeline from Libya's Melitah terminal, Natural Gas Africa reports

Anita Fatunji