Legambiente, Greenpeace and Kyoto Club have signed together with Anev (National Wind Energy Association) the Manifesto for the development of offshore wind in Italy, in compliance with environmental protection and landscape. The manifesto was presented at the digital conference on offshore wind power, as part of the online events of the fair Key Energy 2020. The potential of 900 MW for offshore turbines is included in the Italian PNIEC (National Plan on Energy and Climate) for 2030. At stake there are investments of 9 billion euros for a park of 2.9 GW with 190 turbines.

Blocked for more than 10 months, the state-run National Oil Corporation (NOC) has announced in a statement that it has lifted the ”force majeure in force at the last oil camp ”El Feel” (the elephant) and the end of closures of all oil fields, oil lines and ports starting on Monday, October 26, the date of resumption of oil production in Libya”. The announcement comes days after the signature of a ceasefire agreement by Libyan representatives reached in Geneva on October 23. The NOC announced the same day that the cease-fire was signed the reopening of two key export terminals, Ras Lanuf and Al-Sidra.

A vessel filled with 1.3 million barrels of crude oil is floating 24 miles off Venezuela in the Gulf of Paria in the Caribbean Sea. The ship, which suffered damage early in September, has prompted mitigation measures by both TT and Venezuelan governments. The FSO Nabarima, a stationary storage facility, has been pictured listing, rusting, and taking on water, sparking fears that it will spill its contents. The crude, bound originally for Citgo refineries in Texas and Louisiana, has been stuck in the Gulf of Paria for almost two years.

The company is about to cut around 1,900 employees as a result of ongoing reorganizations and work-process changes that have been made over the past several years to improve efficiency and reduce costs. According to ExxonMobil’s spokesman: “These actions will improve the company’s long-term cost competitiveness and ensure the company manages through the current unprecedented market conditions. The impact of Covid-19 on the demand for ExxonMobil’s products has increased the urgency of the ongoing efficiency work.”. The company has confirmed that employees who will lose their jobs will be support through outplacement services.

The Trans Adriatic Pipeline TAP is finally complete and has been filled with natural gas from the Greek-Turkish border up to the pipeline receiving terminal in Southern Italy. Preparations for launching the commercial operations will be finalized soon and the natural gas transmission system of Snam Rete Gas in Puglia (Italy) is expected to be completed and ready to transport gas by mid-November 2020. The 878 km long pipeline is designed to provide gas to various southeastern European countries, with the Italian entry point providing opportunities for further transport of Caspian gas to wider European markets.

Eni was recognized, for the second year, as an example of good practice in the area of “Sustainability governance” and was included among the 10 companies with the best sustainability reporting in the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. The elements positively evaluated also include the clear description of the roles and responsibilities of the Board of Directors and the Committees on sustainability issues, climate and the distinction between management roles at central and local level and the distinction between the sustainability objectives of the short- term and long-term incentive plan of Eni’s CEO.

The Israeli company Asia Pipeline Company (EAPC) has signed a memorandum of understanding with MED-RED Land Bridge Ltd., a consortium of Israeli and Emirate based companies in the Emirates. The MOA includes the cooperation on the storage and transport of crude oil and oil&gas products between the Persian Gulf and Western markets, and between the Mediterranean Sea and Asia. The economic aspect was not disclosed, nor were the volumes and origin of the oil to be transported. The oil cooperation project will probably receive the support of the United States, which were the main promoters of the diplomatic rapprochement between Israel and the Emirates.

Although its exact structure is yet to be agreed upon, the EU is considering imposing a carbon border adjustment mechanism, more commonly referred to as a carbon border tax. According to Klaus-Dieter Borchardt, the European Commission’s Deputy Director General for Energy: “there will be first some areas where we test it, and form is still under discussion, because you can do it in different forms.
We are still struggling in finding a way to such a mechanism in a WTO compatible manner.”

Salvatore Pinto, President of Axpo Italia, was unanimously elected new President by the Executive Board of Energia Libera. Energia Libera is an association of large companies, operating mainly in the non-regulated segments of the electricity and gas sector, which promotes the liberalization of the energy market through its participation in the institutional debate, contributing to the formation of rules suitable for the correct unfolding of competition. Pinto commented on his appointment as follows: “I am very honoured by this new assignment which will see my utmost attention and commitment to developing dialogue within the sector in the perspective of the energy transition”.

Saras, one of the biggest Italian oil refineries located in Sardinia, is going for the first time towards a state of crisis and redundancy fund. However, the company must now also answer for very serious accusations. In fact, it is suspected that ISIS oil has reached Italy through the Italian oil refinery. 12 million tons of mineral oils would have allowed the company controlled by the Moratti family for 40% to distort the market, thanks to very advantageous purchase prices, and defraud the tax authorities for something like 130 million euros.