Mellitah Oil & Gas B.V. (Joint Ventures Branch) has now issued a second formal Invitation for Pre-Qualification — reference PRQ/JPT/38/26 — covering engineering, supply, fabrication and commissioning of the submerged production system for the same two projects flagged in its earlier prequalification notice: the 'H' installation project and the carbon dioxide project. This follows the previously reported PRQ/JPT/37/26, which sought EPIC contractors for offshore pipelines and subsea systems across the same dual scope. Together, the two prequalification processes indicate that Mellitah is running parallel contractor qualification tracks for distinct but related work packages on these offshore initiatives.
The distinction between the two prequalifications is significant. PRQ/JPT/37/26 targeted EPIC capability for offshore pipeline and subsea systems installation. PRQ/JPT/38/26, by contrast, is focused on engineering, supply and fabrication of the submerged production system itself — a scope that sits closer to subsea production hardware, including wellheads, manifolds, trees and associated subsea infrastructure. That Mellitah has separated these into two discrete prequalification references suggests the JV is either seeking different contractor profiles for each discipline, or intends to award separate contracts for installation versus production system supply and fabrication.
Both prequalifications are issued by the Joint Projects Team (JPT) of Mellitah's Libya Branch, confirming a coordinated procurement programme rather than isolated tenders. The carbon dioxide project reference, appearing in both notices, continues to stand out as an unusual feature for Libyan offshore development and may indicate CO₂ injection, reinjection infrastructure, or an associated gas management initiative — though neither source specifies the technical purpose or scale. Similarly, contract values, water depths, pipeline lengths and project timelines remain undisclosed across both prequalification documents.
For contractors, the emergence of a second prequalification within the same programme materially widens the opportunity set. Companies with subsea production system engineering and fabrication credentials — but who may lack full EPIC installation vessel capacity — now have a distinct entry point via PRQ/JPT/38/26 that was not visible from the first notice alone. Conversely, firms capable of both scopes may need to file separate prequalification submissions under each reference to remain eligible for both contract lots. The prequalification stage remains the critical gateway: firms not qualified under the relevant reference will be excluded from the subsequent tender regardless of technical standing.
Libya's offshore sector continues to show structured, if gradual, procurement activity centred on Mellitah as the primary JV vehicle for offshore development programmes. The sequencing of two prequalification notices in close succession points to a procurement programme with momentum, and Norwegian and international service companies should treat both references as live opportunities requiring immediate attention.