Libyan crisis forced Italy to import more Algerian gas

The Italian government announced on concerns about stops of Libyan gas supplies to its territories since last February, and the increase of dependence on Algerian gas, which reached since the beginning of 2011, 35% of the total Italian gas imports.

 General Manager of Energy at the Italian Ministry of Economy Gilberto Dialuce said that his country is suffering from a position of clear dependence on Algerian gas, adding that Italy can build reserves of gas during the summer but it will face a crisis during January and February 20121, when the demand on natural gas will increase.

Dialuce asserted that Italy’s dependence on Algerian gas increases from day to day since last February following the Libyan crisis.

Rueters quoted the Italian official as saying that the country was pursuing a strategic plan to reduce gas imports from Libya and Algeria before the explosion of the situation in Libya, adding that Italy tried to stop importing Algerian gas under the framework of a European program that was launched following the crisis of gas in Russia and Ukraine, which led to the reduction in imports of gas to several European countries, prompting the EU to demand its countries to diversify their sources of gas supplies to meet any future emergency.