San Donato Milanese (MI), 13 October 2011 – NOC (National Oil Corporation) Libya and Eni through Greenstream BV Libyan Branch, the gas transportation Joint Venture Company (NOC 50%, Eni 50%), have initiated today testing activities for the release of natural gas into the Greenstream pipeline, which connects the treatment plant of Mellitah on the Western part of the Libyan coast to Gela in Italy.
The volumes of gas shipped during the testing period mark the preliminary restart of the pipeline operations after eight months of stoppages due to the conflict in Libya.
The first tests are run with 3 million cubic meters of gas per day, produced by the Wafa field, located about 500 km South West of Tripoli in the Libyan desert; the field largely supply the Libyan gas domestic market used for power generation. Wafa field has been producing gas during the entire period of the conflict allowing electricity supply to the local population.
NOC and Eni, equal partners in the Greenstream BV company, operator of the pipeline, as well as in the Mellitah Oil & Gas Company, operator of production fields in Libya, have been working together, during the past months, to progressively restore production activities in all their participated fields in Libya.
Mellitah Oil & Gas, NOC and Eni are currently working together to restart, during the month of November, both the gas production from the offshore platform of Sabratah, located 110 km from the Libyan coast in the Bahr Essalam gas field, and the associated treatment and processing facilities at the Mellitah Complex.
Bahr Essalam field is an important source of gas supply for Greenstream and resuming production will trigger a gradual increase of the volumes availability.
The restart of the Greenstream is the result of excellent cooperation between NOC and Eni, and represents the first major milestone reached by Eni's strong commitment to bring greater energy security to Italy.
