International pipelines boost Italy's natural gas supply

Journal Article · Thu Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1976 · Energy Int.; (United States)

OSTI ID:7132021

Swiss, M

With two pipeline systems terminating in her northern industrial area and a third under construction coming up from the south, Italy stands at a crossroads of Europe's booming natural gas trade. Supplies are now building up from the Netherlands and Soviet Union, soon to be joined by Algerian gas through the Trans-Mediterranean line. By 1990, Italy could well be the largest gas importer in Europe. In 1972 deliveries started under a 20-year contract with Libya which supplies liquefied gas to the terminal at Panigaglia. The contract was for 3 billion m/sup 3/ of gas per year, but deliveries of late have been running closer to 2 billion m/sup 3//year. Italy is also entitled to 6 billion m/sup 3//year from the Netherlands, part of a 41 billion m/sup 3//year supply through a pipeline serving Belgium, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, and Switzerland as well. A similar supply is available via Czechoslovakia and Austria entered from the Soviet Union. Though the line from Austria entered service in 1974 and that from the Netherlands in the following year, the rate of supply is still building up. Unlike the Libyan supplies, Algerian gas will be supplied via a Trans-Mediterranean pipeline. The Government-owned ENI group, through their subsidiaries, are responsible for laying the line which is in three major land sections with sea crossings of 160 km from Cap Bon, Tunisia, to Sicily, and 15 km across the Straits of Messina to the Italian mainland. Algeria has contracted to supply 11 billion m/sup 3//year, starting in 1978, for 20 years. By 1980, Italy plans to have 170,000 km of lines in service and to be supplying 35 billion m/sup 3//year to consumers. By 1985, this is expected to have risen to 45 billion m/sup 3//year, or 13% of national energy requirements. (MCW)

• OSTI ID: 7132021
• Journal Information: Energy Int.; (United States), Vol. 13:7
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
03 NATURAL GAS
ITALY
NATURAL GAS
TRADE
NATURAL GAS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS
ALGERIA
CONSTRUCTION
LIBYA
LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS
NETHERLANDS
PIPELINES
USSR
AFRICA
ENERGY SOURCES
EUROPE
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
294003* - Energy Planning & Policy- Natural Gas
032000 - Natural Gas- Transport
Handling
& Storage