ENI Launches Libyan Gas Expansion FEED Prequalification
Eni plans a two-thirds hike to 12bn cu m/yr gas output at its giant Mellitah complex east of Tripoli. This will be partly fueled by 1.65bn cu m/yr development of a new structure on its offshore Block NC-41. FEED prequalification closes on 14 October.
On 13 September Eni, through its Mellitah Oil & Gas joint venture with Libya�s National Oil Corporation (NOC),launched prequalification for front end engineering and design (FEED) for development of Block NC-41�s �Structure A� as well as upgrade and expansion of its coastal Mellitah complex.
�Structure A� development will involve the construction of an offshore platform and eight subsea wells. The platform will be tied back to the Mellitah complex by two 79km pipelines � a 20� gas pipeline and an 8� condensate pipeline.
This follows earlier calls for prequalification for Phase II development of Eni�s giant 6bcm/yr Bahr Essalam field, also on Block NC-41. All 26 wells drilled on Bahr Essalam to date have been tied back to the existing Sabratha platform, which is in 200ms water depth. Twelve further wells planned as part of Bahr Essalam phase II � including ten from a newly-developed eastern area 10-13km from Sabratha -- will also be tied back to the existing platform (MEES, 20 August).
�Structure A� is around 30km southwest of Sabratha and lies in water depths of 93 to 145m � making it both closer to the shore and in shallower water than the existing platform. Eni�s development plan envisages production via a platform in 96m water depth. The platform will include 160mn cfd (1.65 cu m/yr) gas and liquids separation and dehydration facilities. The dehydrated gas and partly stabilized condensate will then be shipped to shore using dedicated pipelines.
Mellitah Complex
The second part of the prequalification is for upgrades to the onshore Mellitah complex in order to handle the extra volumes from �Structure A� and Phase II Bahr Essalam development.
The Mellitah Complex consists of two plants. The two-train 76,300 b/d Wafa plant processes oil and NGLs from the Ghadames basin�s Wafa field, whilst the Mellitah Plant currently processes offshore Bahr Essalam gas/condensate production arriving from the Sabratha platform. Current production capacity here is 695mn cu ft/day (7.2bn cu m/yr) of sales gas and 31,000 b/d of condensate from three gas and two condensate trains.
The expansion envisages a 67% increase in gas production capacity through the addition of two new gas processing trains as well as the debottlenecking of the existing units.
Prequalification closes on 14 October. Afinal investment decision will depend on the time frame and �cost-effectiveness� of FEED and basic engineering proposals received, Mellitah says.
Mellitah Oil & Gas, meanwhile, on 13 September closed pre-qualification for an engineering procurement and construction (EPC) contract for fuel stations at the Wafa gas field and at Mellitah port as well as for the rental of extensive property and storage facilities in Tripoli. The latter is to include yards to be used for the storage of pipes and drilling materials and laboratory space to be used for geological and geophysical processing. This would appear to relate to plans to move ahead next year with Phase II Bahr Essalam development as well as its wider Mellitah expansion plans.
Eni also plans to produce 10,000 b/d of crude from Ghadames Basin Block NC-118 from late 2014. Development here requires a central processing facility with a gas and oil separation plant, two production wells, flow lines and gathering systems, gas dehydration and compression units as well as a 59km, 10-inch pipeline to connect the field with Mellitah Oil�s existing Wafa-Mellitah trunk pipeline. Initial production will be of liquids alone, with gas reinjected; once oil reserves are exhausted, gas production will follow using the same 10-inch pipeline.
Copyright MEES 2012.
