Libya is set to increase its natural gas production by around 800 million cubic metres per year following the launch of a new project developed by Italy’s energy company Eni in partnership with the National Oil Corporation (NOC), as the country seeks to strengthen domestic electricity supplies and boost gas exports to Italy, according to a report by Asharq Business Bloomberg.
Eni said the new Sabratha Compression Project is designed to maintain and increase production from the offshore Bahr Essalam field, located around 100 kilometres off Libya’s coast. The project includes the installation of a new compression unit with a total capacity of 440 million cubic feet per day.
The company said the development would offset the natural decline in production from the Bahr Essalam field and enhance the recovery of natural gas and associated condensates, supporting Libya’s energy security and ensuring stable supplies.
Bahr Essalam is Libya’s largest offshore gas field and has been in operation since 2005. The additional gas volumes are also expected to support exports to Italy through the Greenstream pipeline, one of the main energy links between North Africa and Europe.
The project comes as Libya intensifies efforts to raise both oil and gas production. NOC Chairman Masoud Suleman recently announced that the country’s crude oil production had reached its highest level since 2013, standing at 1.43 million barrels per day, in addition to around 49,000 barrels per day of condensates.
Suleman said Libya is approaching its strategic target of producing 1.5 million barrels of oil per day by the end of the year.
Eni and the NOC are also pursuing several additional gas development projects, including the Bouri Associated Gas Utilisation Project and the development of the offshore Structures A and E gas fields.
Eni remains the largest international operator in Libya, producing around 162,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2025 and currently implementing three development projects with total investments estimated at nearly $10 billion.