Eni is pushing for gas and the interconnection of European gas pipelines. “Europe is full of infrastructures which are our resources and we must unify them, make them a common factor. We must no longer think like 28 states. By combining these infrastructures, it is possible to have access to new gas which can also lower costs for consumers". Eni's CEO Claudio Descalzi said this when he spoke at the conference “Prospects of the Italian gas market in the European context” in Confindustria. “We have approximately 700 billion cubic meters of unconnected infrastructure capacity in Europe and which are used at less than 50%, we have 190 billion cubic meters of regasification plants and we use less than 20%, while on the gas pipeline front, 460 billion cubic meters of capacity we use 50%” he specified.
There is also an “enormous potential” in Italy: “We have 120 billion cubic meters of capacity to acquire and transport gas and we consume half of it. We have an excess of gas that we can give to Eastern and Northern Europe. The same for Spain and together we can get to give 120-130 billion cubic meters of gas to the European system". "Fifteen-twenty years ago Europe produced 58% of its needs (about 400 billion cubic meters) . We now produce 35% of our needs (140 billion cubic metres) and in 7-8 years we will produce 18% (about 80 billion). With current European policies, which see gas drilling as a crime, we will soon no longer produce anything".
RETURN TO IRAN
Inevitable questions about the return of the dog to Sei amp in Iran. "The matter is still linked to the contracts that were presented in London a few days ago, they must be studied and discussed and must be linked to the fields", was Descalzi's reply. On the times, you clarified that “we are not yet able to enter because the sanctions are still active. When can we enter? I don't know, maybe in 2016. But there are billions to invest: the situation needs to be completely defined”.
THE PARTNER FOR CHEMISTRY
Finally, the chemistry. On Versalis "We are discussing with various potential subjects, but there is still no travel companion", Drscalzi specified, responding to reporters who asked him about the hypothesis of the sale of 70% of the chemical company to a US fund and the protests of the trade unions who fear the group leaving the chemical business and just Thursday sent a letter to Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, signed by the three general secretaries Susanna Camusso, Annamaria Furlan and Carmelo Barbagallo. Descalzi replied as follows: “We have to find someone to invest with us. The alternative is that we can't put the money into this development. If we don't wake up and invest, the chemistry will run out." “We said – he specified – that we will continue to invest in this business which has absorbed 5,8 billion of cash, 3,1 of Ebit and in which we should invest 1,2 billion. We have to find a travel companion: we will stay inside and the partner will have to submit to rigid stakes". What are these stakes? "Follow our business plan for the next two years, keep the industrial context intact for five years, don't touch people for three years, keep the Italian company, with an Italian name," replied Eni's CEO.
