Eni and Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) have completed the Bouri gas utilisation project off Libya’s western coast and begun start-up procedures, Offshore Energy reported. Developed through their Mellitah Oil & Gas joint venture, the scheme will recover associated gas from the Bouri field that was previously burned off through flaring.
The development includes a newly installed gas recovery module and connecting infrastructure to collect and treat the gas. It forms part of a wider effort to make greater use of Libya’s gas resources while lowering emissions from upstream operations. Completion marks the move into start-up, rather than confirmation that the project has reached its expected annual output.
According to Eni, as cited by Offshore Energy, the project is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 a year. The company described it as one of the most significant emissions-reduction initiatives in Libya’s energy industry, linking improved environmental performance with the recovery of gas previously lost to flaring.
Recovered supplies will go to the domestic market, with incremental production forecast at around 700 million standard cubic metres annually. The gas is intended to help meet demand from power generation. Offshore Energy also reported that the project would support additional volumes available for export to Europe through the GreenStream pipeline, although it did not specify an export volume.
Saipem completed lifting operations for the gas recovery module earlier this year. Pre-commissioning work was planned for approximately 28 kilometres of subsea pipelines already laid to connect the DP3, DP4 and Sabratha platforms. Those links are intended to carry recovered gas to the Mellitah treatment complex.
Other gas developments remain under way in Libya, including the A&E Structures project, which aims to bring offshore resources into production for domestic consumption and exports. The report also identified initiatives to upgrade and optimise gas production and transport infrastructure alongside the Bouri development.