Italy: ENI ready to pay 20 million euros to release Russian gas in Austria

The Milan headquarters of the oil and gas group ENI.

AFP PHOTO / PACO SERINELLI

Text by: RFI Follow

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The Italian hydrocarbon giant ENI is ready to pay 20 million euros to unblock the suspension of Russian gas deliveries to Italy.

Last Saturday, Gazprom had suspended deliveries citing the impossibility of transporting gas through Austria. 

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According to ENI, the suspension of Russian gas which crosses by pipeline its neighbor Austria is not due to geopolitical reasons.

The Italian company cites financial problems.

Gazprom refuses to pay a guarantee to the Austrian carrier which amounts to 20 million euros.

The Russian giant wants to pay it in rubles, which is no longer possible due to new regulations that came into force on October 1.

To restart Russian gas deliveries, ENI therefore proposes to pay the bill in euros instead of Gazprom. 

Italy receives most of the Russian gas via a gas pipeline that passes through Ukraine and Austria.

Deliveries have fallen sharply since the invasion of Ukraine, which has prompted Italy to find other suppliers, particularly African ones.

The country, which claims to have reached its storage objectives for this winter, says it is able to do without Russian gas, but not before 2024. 

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