Claudio Descalzi

ENI's discoveries in Cyprus' exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and the scenarios for the utilization of the confirmed drillings as well as the preferred solutions to efficiently meet domestic energy priorities were discussed in a meeting of the president of the republic, Nikos Christodoulides, with ENI's Chief Executive Officer Claudio Descalzi on Tuesday in the presence of the ministers of energy

Energy, Commerce, and Industry Minister George Papanastasiou expressed optimism regarding the construction of a pipeline between Cyprus and Israel after a meeting with Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi and President Nikos Christodoulides at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday. Papanastasiou anticipated a development plan for the fields in Block 6 of the Cypriot EEZ in the near future.

The Cypriot government says it does not share views on East Med gas made by Eni boss Claudio Descalzi, who told Italian lawmakers an Eastern Mediterranean gas project cannot go forward without Turkey, with Nicosia begging to differ and pointing to other firms willing to take the risk.

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni is looking to boost already strong energy ties with Algeria to further wean Italy off Russian energy, a focus of her two-day visit to the North African nation that started yesterday.

Eni is not concerned about escalating tensions between Cyprus and Turkey over the question of offshore drilling and would seek to stay clear of any conflict, the Italian oil and gas group's Chief Executive said on Thursday.

Italian oil major Eni will probably move a drilling ship that has been blocked by the Turkish navy off Cyprus but will not pull out of its project in the country, the group's CEO said on Thursday.

"It should be going to Morocco," Chief Executive Claudio Descalzi said during a company event near Milan, when asked what the next location of the ship could be. [Reuters]

A Turkish blockade of a ship hired by Eni to drill for gas off the Cyprus coast is a diplomatic issue that is out of the Italian oil company's hands, Eni's CEO said on Friday.

Drilling ship Saipem 12000 entered the Cypriot exclusive economic zone on Tuesday evening to start operating in the next few days for Italy's ENI.

The vessel will anchor at the "Kalypso" field of the zone's Block 6, to begin exploratory drilling for hydrocarbons in the next few days.

The top executive of ENI said Friday that the Italian oil and gas company will drill two exploratory wells off Cyprus over the next two months, expressing confidence that significant reserves can be found for possible export to Europe.

Italian energy giant Eni on Aug. 30 announced the discovery of the "largest ever" offshore natural gas field in the Mediterranean, in Egypt's territorial waters.