Libya maintenance to hit gas output and exports

Libya's state-owned NOC announced on Sunday the start of a three-week maintenance program with Italy's Eni at their western gas facilities from today which should see a major reduction in the country's production and exports.

The Mellitah industrial complex, the offshore Bahr Essalam field and the onshore Wafa wet gas field will undergo major overhauls, NOC said. The Mellitah complex processes gas and liquids output from Bahr Essalam and Wafa for domestic consumption and export to Italy.

Eni's north Africa subsidiary said last month that gas deliveries to Italy will be "materially reduced and could potentially go to zero" over 29 April-25 May due to planned maintenance.

Libya produced just under 1.4bn ft³/d of gas last year, with most of this coming from Bahr Essalam and Wafa. Production stood at 1.115bn ft³ on 28 April, according to official NOC and Italian import data. Bahr Essalam and Wafa also account for the bulk of the country's condensate output of around 50,000 b/d.

"All the necessary arrangements have been made to meet the shortage of gas during the outage," NOC said. Around 100mn ft³/d of gas from the Sirte basin will be diverted west to Khoms to support power production, it said.

Rising domestic consumption coupled with falling production has led to a reduction in Libya's exports to Italy in recent years. Supplies through the 775mn ft³/d Greenstream pipeline hit their lowest level since the 2011 revolution last year, averaging some 250mn ft³/d.

A partial recovery has seen exports rise 23pc to 271mn ft³/d in the first four months of this year, compared to the corresponding period in 2022.

NOC and Eni signed an $8bn offshore gas projects deal in January which forms a key part of the country's efforts to meet rising domestic demand boost exports to Italy.

By Aydin Calik