The Sabratha Compression Project has entered its operational phase, following the successful installation of the compression module on the Sabratha platform in October 2025. The project was needed to increase and sustain gas production from the Bahr Essalam field for both domestic and export markets, and enhance overall operational efficiency.
The project is managed by Mellitah Oil and Gas Co., a joint venture between Libya’s National Oil Corp. (NOC) and Italy’s Eni. Antonini Group was awarded the US$217 million contract for the engineering, procurement, construction, and installation of the compression unit on the Sabratha platform, located 68 miles (110 km) from the Libyan coast.
The project is expected to increase the field’s gas production by approximately 100 MMcf/d (2.8 x 106 m3/d) and is part of a broader strategy by Libya to strengthen its energy sector, support the domestic market, and revive gas exports to Europe, particularly through the Greenstream pipeline. The Greenstream pipeline, part of the Western Libyan Gas Project, is a natural gas submarine pipeline that run from western Libya to the island of Sicily in Italy.
The project consists of two independent, turbine-driven compressor trains. This design provides redundancy and allows for maintenance on one train while the other remains operational. The compressors are designed to boost the gas pressure from approximately 435 to 1160 psi (30 to 80 bar). Each compressor train includes a suction knockout drum to separate liquids (hydrocarbons and water) from the raw gas before it enters the compressor and an aftercooler to reduce the temperature of the gas after it has been compressed.
