Italy's Eni has signed a string of agreements with Russian operators and a research institution, building its ties with the country.
The first is a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Eni and Novatek, which sees the two firms agreeing to future co-operation in offshore projects in the Mediterranean Sea.
The MOU was signed by Novatek’s CEO, Leonid Mikhelson, and Eni’s CEO, Paolo Scaroni, in the presence of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and Italy’s prime minister, Enrico Letta.
In a further agreement, Eni is to support research and educational activities at the Skolkovo Foundation, through an MOU which agreed future cooperation on the research and development of new technologies related to the energy sector.
The agreement will give Eni access to Russian's technological innovation sector. In return, Eni will offer its industrial experience and technological know-how and will contribute to the research and educational activities of the Foundation.
Finally, Eni and Rosneft signed agreements on mutual oil supplies and joint commercial and logistic investments.
This follows a previous agreement signed between the two companies in February 2013, which aimed to develop synergies in their respective logistic infrastructure networks within the hydrocarbons sector.
Rosneft will supply crude oil to PCK Schwedt refinery in Germany and Česká Rafinerska refinery in the Czech Republic, which are both participated by Eni. In turn, Eni will perform seaborne supplies to Rosneft, in the frame of Rosneft’s stake in RuhrOel GmbH refineries, in Germany.
Eni and Rosneft also agreed the principal terms for joint investments in the development of a new Eni Logistics Center in the Venice area, Italy.