The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract covers the development of onshore production and treatment facilities in Block NC-169, 550 kilometres southwest of Tripoli. The client is Agip Gas, a joint venture between NOC and Eni. France's Technip, which did the front-end engineering and design (FEED), is also acting as the project management consultant.

Five more EPC contracts connected to the project are expected to be awarded this year. Total project costs are estimated at about $4,600 million. Eni plans to export gas to Italy via a 32-inch, 540-kilometre pipeline running from Melitah to Sicily. The company has signed offtake agreements for 8,000 million cubic metres a year of gas starting in 2004 (Libya, MEED Special Report, 17:8:01, pages 24-25).