TRIPOLI, Libya, Sept. 13 (UPI) -- Restarting the Greenstream natural gas pipeline from Libya to Italy is one of the immediate concerns for Italian energy company ENI, an executive said.
ENI Chief Executive Officer Paolo Scaroni visited Tripoli, a first for any major international company since the start of the war in February.
Scaroni met with Libyan oil officials and delegates from the Transitional National Council. He said the main purpose of his visit was to find steps needed to resume natural gas exports through the Greenstream pipeline, which could carry as much as 350 billion cubic feet of natural gas per year to Libya.
"Our priority is the quick recovery of Libyan gas export toward Italy, aiming to guarantee Italy with the security of supplies," he said in a statement.
ENI in August signed a deal with the NTC that outlined restart plans for the Greenstream natural gas pipeline. Much of Libya's infrastructure was damaged by war.
ENI under the terms of the agreement provides technical assistance to the rebel leadership to examine what's needed to get Libyan energy production back to pre-war levels.
Gas supplied through the pipeline had met about 10 percent of Italy's natural gas needs before the onset of the Libyan conflict.
