Italy is the 4th most populated European country and the 3rd largest European gas market after the UK and Germany. The country is highly import dependent (90% gas, 85% oil) on foreign energy sources, including Libya and Russia.
Despite its gas supply needs, in 2010 imports accounted for around 75 billion cubic metres of gas (2.6 trillion cubic feet) against a total production of 8.3 billion cubic metres (282 billion cubic feet).
The Po Valley region, between the Alps and the Apennines, is the main gas production zone in Italy. The national transportation grid is more than 29,000 km long and the distribution network is well developed, covering 90% of the north of Italy where the Company operates. Sillaro is a good example of the extension and proximity to the pipeline grid: the production plant is only 200 metres away from to the national entry point, reducing time and costs to develop gas discoveries.
