During Wednesday’s second regular cabinet meeting of 2023, held in the north-western city of Aljmail, caretaker prime minister Abd Alhamid Aldabaiba congratulated all the Libyan people for reactivating the oil agreement signed with Italy in 2008.
He stressed that a delay in implementing the gas agreement with Italy’s Eni would mean that Libya will turn from a gas-exporting country to an importer by 2027.
Aldabaiba said Libya was in dire need to restore projects in the field of gas and all oil fields. He said he had to realize and save Libya’s capabilities in this field by restoring life in this project, which will pump investments in Libya of eight billion dollars, which the country has not witnessed in a quarter of a century.
He said there was an urgent need to activate gas projects in Libya because official studies and international data confirm that the delay will cause a decrease in Libya’s ability to produce gas.
The deal is criticised for amending Libya’s agreed share
It will be recalled that the 2008 Eni gas deal, reactivated by Aldabaiba last Saturday, was publicly criticised by his own Oil and Gas Minister Mohamed Aoun. Aoun objection to the announced terms of the Eni gas for bypassed his Oil Ministry and cabinet approval and changing the terms of the deal originally signed in 2008.
Audit Bureau to review Eni deal
On Wednesday the Audit Bureau head, Khaled Shakshak, met Minister Aoun and announced it would be reviewing the Eni deal.
Aldabaiba’s cabinet meeting pronouncements regarding the Eni deal were in response to this criticism. Aldabaiba did not transparently address why the terms of the Eni deal were altered.
Audit Bureau discusses Eni gas deal with objecting Oil Minister Aoun (libyaherald.com)
