Mellitah Oil & Gas B.V. (Joint Ventures Branch) has been running a pre-qualification process under reference PRQ/JPT/36/26 since at least 13 August 2026, seeking contractors to supply a semi-submersible offshore drilling unit for the 'H' offshore installation project in Libya. The original invitation — now confirmed to have been published on 13 August 2026 — called for contractors with specialist expertise and extensive experience in offshore drilling and completion. The extension notice published on 3 September 2026 therefore represents a deliberate prolonging of that initial outreach rather than a fresh solicitation, giving the procurement timeline a clearer shape: roughly three weeks elapsed between the original notice and the extension, suggesting the initial response was either thin or failed to produce a sufficient pool of qualifying candidates.
The sequence of events — original invitation in mid-August followed by a formal extension in early September — reinforces the interpretation that Mellitah is conducting a genuine market-screening exercise before restricting the field to a shortlisted group of pre-qualified bidders. The reissuance as an extension under the same reference number, PRQ/JPT/36/26, confirms continuity of scope: drilling operations and well completion activities at the 'H' offshore installation. No contract has been awarded, no financial terms have been disclosed, and the notice continues to withhold specifics such as water depth, block designation, or the number of wells targeted.
Mellitah Oil & Gas B.V. is a joint venture entity and one of Libya's active upstream operators with established offshore assets. Libya's offshore sector has endured prolonged disruption due to political instability, but operators with entrenched joint venture structures such as Mellitah have continued to advance drilling campaigns when security and commercial conditions permit. The formal progression from original invitation to extension — both published through official procurement channels — reinforces that the 'H' project is moving through structured procurement rather than stalling at a conceptual stage.
For Norwegian service companies, the confirmed August origin of the pre-qualification process means the window is now materially narrower than it appeared when only the September extension notice was visible. Firms that have not yet submitted credentials under PRQ/JPT/36/26 or secured approved-vendor status with Mellitah should treat the extension as the definitive and likely final opportunity to engage before the shortlist is closed. The semi-submersible requirement continues to signal a deepwater or mid-water campaign — directly relevant for Norwegian companies whose service lines in cementing, wellheads, completion tooling, and subsea well intervention are configured for that rig class. Downstream subcontract opportunities will follow once the main drilling contract is placed with a qualified semi-sub operator.