Italy's ENI resumes production at Libya gas field

Italian energy major ENI resumed production on Wednesday at its Sabratha offshore gas platform in Libya to supply its home market after re-opening a pipeline between the two countries last month. ENI said in a statement that production would start at four to five million cubic metres per day and gradually increase to between 11 and 13 million cubic metres by the end of November with the opening of all 15 of the platform's wells. ENI has pushed hard for a resumption of production in Libya, warning that Italian households could be affected during the winter months. It said that the gas from Sabratha would be processed at the Mellitah complex and then pumped to Italy through the Greenstream pipeline. ENI is the biggest foreign energy producer in oil-rich Libya, a former Italian colony. Libya accounts for around 15 percent of ENI's global production and around 11 percent of Italy's gas imports. The Sabratha platform is located in the Mediterranean around 110 kilometres (68 miles) northwest of Tripoli and is one of the largest Libyan fields. Output was shut down in February after the rebellion against Moamer Kadhafi, a long-standing ally of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. "The restart of gas production from the offshore platform of Sabratha is another important step in progressively restoring production activities in all fields in Libya," ENI said. Italy earlier on Wednesday became the first European state to resume commercial flights to Tripoli, with Foreign Minister Franco Frattini stressing the country's close ties with the new Libyan leadership. There is concern in Italy that leading Italian companies could be passed over for contracts in favour of other countries that helped overthrow Kadhafi.