North Africa will be Italy's main gas supplier for years to come...

Algeria, Egypt and Libya will be Italy's main gas suppliers over the next few years, Italy's head of natural resources told Reuters.Eniadding that the energy group would be investing heavily in Africa, both in exploration and in new low-carbon projects.

Last year, Eni, Italy's largest importer of natural gas, reacted swiftly to the drop in Russian gas supply by shipping increasing volumes from Africa to its home country.

This change, made possible by the Group's decades-long presence on the continent, has made Algeria Italy's leading gas supplier, replacing Russia.

"Africa is a continent where many investments are needed, even in traditional exploration and production activities," said Guido Brusco, Eni's Director of Natural Resources Operations.

In the coming years, the company sees the role of Algeria and Egypt consolidating, and that of Libya and several sub-Saharan countries, including the Republic of Congo and Angola, potentially becoming more important, said Brusco.

Against this backdrop, Eni is investing several billion euros to guarantee exports to Italy, serve the African market and prepare to ship more gas to Europe.

"Deposits are declining, but 80% of the world's energy demand still relies on fossil resources. As cleaner sources are developed, it is necessary to manage the reduction of energy consumption.  of oil  and gas... particularly in Africa, where the population is growing and development is accelerating", said Brusco.

Eni is Africa's largest international gas producer, he said, adding that over 90% of the fuel the group extracted on the continent last year was destined for the African market. 

This percentage could fall over the next few years as the Group's production on the continent increases and available gas exceeds African needs.

NO PROBLEM ON THE ZOHR FIELD

In Egyptwhere Eni's production amounted to 346 kilograms of barrels of oil equivalent. oil per day (KBOED) last year, the company will invest around $3.5 billion over four years in activities such as exploration and management of existing deposits, Brusco said, ignoring production fears.

"The field's performance is in line with our plans and better than that of the largest fields in the world Russie “.

In Algeria, Eni's production has risen this year from 95 KBOED to over 120 KBOED. 

The group's exports from Algeria to Italy should reach around 15 billion cubic meters (bcm), compared with 12 billion m3 last year, depending on demand, Brusco said. 

In LibyaWhere Eni produced 165 KBOED last year, it plans to invest $8 billion. 

Having revoked the force majeure declared in 2014, Eni will soon resume exploration work, and drilling could follow in a few years' time, he said. 

With regard to sub-Saharan region, Brusco highlighted the Baleine project in Côte d'Ivoire.Eni's flagship project to create the world's first gas and condensate field of oil to zero net emissions across the continent.

“Production started last monthless than two years after the discovery, and is going very well," he declared. 

In addition to exploration and production, Eni is also investing in the energy transition, focusing on projects such as renewable energies and agriculture in Africa to produce agricultural feedstocks for its biofuels business, and plans to open biorefineries on the continent.