18 April 2014, News Wires – Italian oil and gas major Eni said its outgoing chief executive met Ukraine’s energy minister on Thursday and they agreed on the need to increase gas production in the country, which is at the centre of escalating tensions with Russia, according to a report.
“The parties discussed Eni’s activities in Ukraine and agreed on the need to cooperate in order to increase the potential production of shale and conventional gas onshore, also through the award of new exploration areas,” Eni said according to Reuters.
“Upon request by the minister, Eni has agreed to research new ways to supply gas to Ukraine, also through reverse flow systems, with the additional aim of making full use of available storage capacity,” it added.
The mandate of chief executive Paolo Scaroni will expire in May and he will be replaced by the current head of exploration and production Claudio Descalzi.
Eni has been present in Ukraine since 2011 with two licences located in the Dnieper-Donets basin.
In 2012, it acquired a 50% stake and the operatorship in Westgasinvest, the company that currently owns the rights of nine areas of unconventional gas in western Ukraine, for a total of about 3800 square kilometres.
– Upstream
