Italy: authorization for drilling in the Adriatic Sea

Italy wants to expand gas drilling concessions in the Adriatic, hoping to double production to 6 billion m3/year.

Share:

Comprehensive energy news coverage, updated nonstop

Annual subscription

8.25€/month*

*billed annually at 99€/year for the first year then 149,00€/year ​

Unlimited access • Archives included • Professional invoice

OTHER ACCESS OPTIONS

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2€/month*
then 14.90€ per month thereafter

FREE ACCOUNT

3 articles offered per month

FREE

*Prices are excluding VAT, which may vary depending on your location or professional status

Since 2021: 35,000 articles • 150+ analyses per week

Italy wants to expand gas drilling concessions in the Adriatic, hoping to double production to 6 billion m3/year. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s ambition is to bring down energy prices.

A drop in prices

In Italy, the measure will take the form of an amendment to a government decree. Parliament must approve the text in the next few days, according to the Prime Minister. The project provides for the granting of 10-year concessions.

The drilling would take place between 9 and 12 miles off the Adriatic coast. This project would allow the extraction of up to 15 billion cubic meters of gas. A draft version set the extraction limit at 10 billion cubic meters over a 15-year period.

According to the Italian government, the gas from the new domestic production will supply energy-intensive Italian companies. For Rome, the price will be between €50 and €100 per megawatt hour. This represents a reduction compared to the prices charged on the European gas market.

Diversification of supplies

Italy is trying to find new gas supplies to replace imports from Russia. Indeed, these deliveries represented about 38% of its total consumption last year, before the invasion of Ukraine by Moscow. However, the expected increase in domestic production will only cover a small part of Italy’s needs.

The Italian government also signed import agreements with countries such as Algeria, Norway, Congo and Azerbaijan. However, environmentalists believe that Italy should do more to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy sources. In particular, they mention solar and wind energy.

Ten European states agreed to specify how to limit export credits for fossil fuel projects abroad. However, they were ruling out a commitment project. This was intended to explicitly end this type of support after Italy’s refusal.

An Italian appeal court has approved the extradition to Germany of a former Ukrainian commander suspected of coordinating the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, a decision now challenged in cassation.
QatarEnergy has acquired a 40% stake in the North Rafah offshore exploration block, located off Egypt’s Mediterranean coast, strengthening its presence in the region in partnership with Italian group Eni.
The U.S. Department of Energy has given final approval to the CP2 LNG project, authorising liquefied natural gas exports to countries without free trade agreements.
LNG Energy Group finalised a court-approved reorganisation agreement in Colombia and settled a major debt through asset transfer, while continuing its operational and financial recovery plan.
Daniel Chapo is visiting the United States to encourage ExxonMobil to commit to a major investment in Rovuma LNG, a strategic gas project for Mozambique as TotalEnergies resumes its suspended operations.
Baker Hughes will expand its coiled tubing drilling fleet from four to ten units in Saudi Arabia’s gas fields under a multi-year agreement with Aramco, including operational management and underbalanced drilling services.
Tokyo Gas commits to one million tonnes per annum of liquefied natural gas under the Alaska LNG project, boosting Glenfarne’s commercial momentum after five agreements signed in seven months.
Indonesia Energy Corporation partners with Aquila Energia to develop two pilot projects combining solar and natural gas to power data centres in Brazil, under a non-binding framework supported by both governments.
A former Ukrainian soldier accused of taking part in the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline is at the centre of a contested extradition process between Italy and Germany, revived by a ruling from Italy’s Court of Cassation.
Venezuela demands full financial compensation for any gas exports from the offshore Dragon field, reactivated following U.S. authorisation granted to Trinidad and Tobago.
Vistra Corp. finalises the purchase of seven natural gas power plants totalling 2.6 gigawatts, strengthening its presence in key US electricity markets.
Tidewater Midstream and Infrastructure has finalised the sale of its non-core Sylvan Lake site to Parallax Energy Operating for $5.5mn, with limited impact on its 2025 results.
U.S. gas deliveries to Mexico reached 7.5 billion cubic feet per day in May, driven by rising demand in the power sector and new cross-border interconnections.
The Algerian national company has restarted a key liquefaction unit in Skikda, strengthening its export capacity amid massive investment in the gas sector.
Doha and Washington warn Brussels about the consequences of EU sustainability requirements on liquefied natural gas exports, as the continent’s energy security remains under pressure.
The Volans-1X exploration well revealed a 26-metre productive zone in the Orange Basin, marking another hydrocarbon find for Azule Energy partners in 2025.
Faced with the absence of commercially viable results on the Guercif permit, Predator Oil & Gas has initiated a sale process while continuing technical evaluation of the gas potential.
According to the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, a stable gas price of $6/MMBtu would boost global demand by 60 billion m³ in the short term and 120 billion m³ by 2035, mainly driven by Asia.
Kazakhstan’s Karachaganak gas field has reduced output by nearly one-third following an incident at a key Russian gas processing plant targeted by a Ukrainian drone strike.
Kinetiko Energy reports production levels above economic thresholds at two Mpumalanga wells, strengthening the technical viability and development potential of its liquefied natural gas project.

All the latest energy news, all the time

Annual subscription

8.25€/month*

*billed annually at 99€/year for the first year then 149,00€/year ​

Unlimited access - Archives included - Pro invoice

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2€/month*
then 14.90€ per month thereafter

*Prices shown are exclusive of VAT, which may vary according to your location or professional status.

Since 2021: 30,000 articles - +150 analyses/week.