Page 14 - EurOil Week 50 2022

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Italian PM Meloni outlines new Enrico Mattei. signed a political agreement to build the
pipeline. Russia pledged to provide 35,000-
Mattei – a capable and headstrong
ambitious plan for Africa manager who cut his teeth in the Christian 50,000 tonnes of oil a year to fill it.
Democrat resistance to the fascist regime –
However, in 2010 Bulgaria pulled out of
The Italian PM Giorgia Meloni revealed her died in a plane crash in 1962 in mysterious the project citing environmental concerns. Al
government’s new policy towards Africa circumstances. He was loathed by the US Jazeera quoted industry insiders as saying that
when speaking at the “Med – Mediterranean and even more by France for his unorthodox the true reason for abandoning the project
dialogues” Conference in Rome last week. policies, which strengthened African was the US opposition to dependence on
The high-level initiative promoted by the irredentism (particularly in Algeria) and Russian oil.
Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ISPI weaved closer economic ties with the Soviet According to the newest plan, Russia
(Italian Institute for International Political Union in a bid to reduce Italian energy would not benefit from the pipeline if it goes
Studies) is held every year, with the aim dependence on the “Seven Sisters” (a term north.
being to “rethink traditional approaches to coined by Mattei himself) – the major oil
the area complementing analyses of current companies hailing from France, the USA and
challenges with new ideas and suggestions the UK. All three refineries in Romania
and to draft a new positive agenda, addressing Mattei’s figure is not devoid of
shared challenges at both the regional and the controversies but is generally held in high secured non-Russian oil
international level”. esteem by Italians across the political
Meloni wishes Italy could “retake its spectrum for his unrepentant refusal to Petrotel, the refinery controlled in Romania
leading role” in Africa, calling her cabinet’s collude with Western powers at Italy’s expense by the Russian group Lukoil, has been
new strategy “Piano Mattei” – named after during the reconstruction years following processing crude oil of non-Russian origin
Enrico Mattei, the former CEO and founder WWII. since December 5, Romanian Minister
of the modern Agip and Eni (the Italian state- His policies towards Africa were praised of Energy Virgil Popescu said, quoted by
owned energy corporation). by the regional independent governments Economica.net.
Meloni summarised the policy as “a for their magnanimity; remarkably, Mattei’s Europe and the US started enforcing on
virtuous model of co-operation between Eni offered Algeria and Tunisia a 50-50 December 5 two of the toughest measures
Africa and the EU that doesn’t take a partnership for extracting their oil in the aimed at curbing Russia’s income from oil, the
predatory stance, but rather a co-operative 1960s, a much fairer share than the typical principal source of cash used to fund its nearly
approach that recognises each state’s identity deals granted at the time by American or 10-month-old war in Ukraine: a price cap
and potential”. French corporations to African nations. initiative led by the United States sets a top
Pointing out that security and stability price of $60 per barrel for Russian crude and
in the Mediterranean are in the whole EU’s an embargo that prohibits European Union
interest and should be pursued with collective Greece, Bulgaria discuss countries from buying most Russian crude.
actions, Meloni stressed the importance of “Lukoil assured us that they have
helping the pacification and reunification reviving project for Burgas- alternative sources of crude oil and petroleum
of Libya with the final aim being to “rid products and that there will be no problems in
the country of foreign mercenaries”. Even Alexandroupolis oil pipeline Romania,” Popescu pointed out.
though Meloni didn’t elaborate further on this OMV Petrom and Rompetrol Rafinare,
point, she likely hinted at Russian military Greece and Bulgaria started talks on reviving owned by KazMunayGaz, have already
contractors such as the Wagner group, which a long-defunct project for the Burgas- switched to non-Russian oil in advance.
supports the Tobruk-based faction led by Alexandroupolis oil pipeline that would In the neighbouring countries, Lukoil’s
General Khalifa Haftar in the ongoing Lybian bypass the Bosphorus Strait, Al Jazeera refinery in Bulgaria (which used to deliver
civil conflict. reported. petroleum products in Romania) is processing
Libya is the country where most ships The pipeline would run 280km from the crude oil of Russian origin. But it is not
carrying migrants originate from, heading port of Alexandroupolis on the Aegean Sea to allowed by the Bulgarian authorities to export
on to Lampedusa; the country’s political the port of Burgas on the Black Sea. It could its products to other EU countries or any
instability makes it harder for Italy or the EU continue towards the port of Constanta in other third country.
to make any deal to stem the departures at Romania.
source. For Meloni’s right-wing party, FDI Bulgaria’s caretaker Energy Minister
(Fratelli d’Italia), the eradication of illegal Rossen Hristov said the pipeline would be
migration ranks high among its priorities. necessary after the derogation granted to
Meloni also praised the successful co- Bulgaria from the EU on oil imports from
operation with Algeria – boosted by new Russia ends as the transit fees through the
deals signed by her predecessor Mario Bosphorus would be too high.
Draghi last summer – which helped Italy to The original plan for the Burgas-
become less dependent on Russian gas. Italy Alexandroupoli pipeline, first drafted in 1993,
currently imports 45% of its gas from North was to flow south, exporting crude oil from
African countries mostly through the Trans- the Black Sea to the Mediterranean.
Mediterranean Pipeline, also named after In 2007, Greece, Bulgaria and Russia

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