A gas project off the coast of Libya, which is operated by Mellitah Oil & Gas Libyan Branch, a consortium formed by National Oil Corporation (NOC) of Libya and Eni North Africa, is anticipated to stop decades of costly flaring in its tracks, capturing hundreds of millions of cubic meters of gas to fuel local power plants and feed European export pipelines.
Eni, in partnership with Libya’s National Oil Corporation through the joint venture Mellitah Oil & Gas, has announced the completion of the Bouri gas utilization project (GUP), with start-up procedures now underway, enabling the recovery of associated gas produced from the Bouri field in Libya’s western offshore area.
The project involved the construction and installation of the new Bouri gas recovery module (GRM) and the related tie-in infrastructure, enabling the recovery and treatment of gas that was previously flared. The development is part of a broader strategy aimed at enhancing the value of the country’s gas resources while reducing the emissions intensity of upstream activities.
According to Eni, this project represents one of the most significant emissions reduction initiatives in Libya’s energy sector and will contribute to improving the environmental performance of the country’s production system, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by approximately 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 per year.
The recovered gas will be supplied to the domestic market, providing an incremental production of around 700 million standard cubic meters per year, helping meet demand from the power generation sector.
In addition, the project will support additional gas volumes available for export to Europe through the GreenStream pipeline. Saipem finished the lifting operations of the gas recovery module for the BGUP earlier this year.
The pre-commissioning activities were planned for approximately 28 kilometers of already laid subsea pipelines to connect the DP3, DP4, and Sabratha platforms to enable the transportation of the recovered gas to the Mellitah treatment complex.
The start-up of the Bouri GUP confirms the joint commitment of Eni and NOC to the development of Libya’s energy sector through initiatives that combine production growth, operational efficiency, and environmental stewardship.
Other strategic developments are currently underway in Libya, including the A&E Structures project, focused on bringing new offshore gas resources on stream for both the domestic market and exports, as well as initiatives aimed at upgrading and optimizing gas production and transportation infrastructures.