Italy Continues to Receive Russian Gas in Reduced Volumes - Eni

In recent days, Italy has received smaller than requested volumes of gas, ranging from 50 to 65%

© AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia

ROME, June 19. /TASS/. Italian energy company Eni reported on Sunday that it continues to receiving gas volumes from Gazprom in reduced volumes.

"Gazprom announced that today it will deliver volumes of gas in line with the quantities delivered in the last days," the company said in a statement.

In recent days, Italy has received smaller than requested volumes of gas, ranging from 50 to 65%.

Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi said on Saturday that gas supply in Italy now exceeds demand. He said that in the context of a shortage of approximately 30 million cubic meters of Russian gas per day in Italy, the supply reaches 200 million thanks to an increase in alternative supplies, while demand is150-160 million.

However, according to experts, there is a problem of filling the storage facilities, which are currently 54% full, while they should be at least 80-90% full by the new heating season. Industry representatives point to the danger of a decline in production amid high prices, the growth of which is facilitated by the short supply of Russian gas to Europe. According to media reports, the government is considering raising the warning level to a "threat" in the energy supply. Emergency meetings are to be held next week.

On Tuesday, Gazprom announced that it had to lower natural gas supplies over the Nord Stream pipeline against the schedule due to untimely return of gas pumping units from repair by Siemens and identified malfunctions of motors. Due to this fact only three gas pumping units could be used at the Portovaya compressor station and the company could provide for gas pumping over the gas pipeline up to 100 mln cubic meters daily compared to 167 mln cubic meters per day under the plan.

In turn, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi called the reduction in supplies "political leverage" from Russia, and the explanation of the reduction due to technical difficulties "a lie."

On Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that there have been no deliberate actions by Gazprom on reduction of gas supplies to Europe. He added that there was a problem with turbines.