Competitive environment

A challenging market

In an extremely complex and dynamic international environment, geopolitical, technological and market factors have interacted rapidly, determining the change of the consolidated business models and making emerge new players and new growth areas (particularly in Asia and in the United States as well as, in the initial phase, in the Sub-Saharan Africa).

In the second half of the year, an unbalanced oil market, with an excess of supply in the context of weak demand, witnessed a fall in oil prices. The gas market, characterized in Europe by continued demand reduction, saw the growth of volumes exchanged in the spot market and continuing renegotiations of the take-or-pay contracts. In this scenario Eni’s strategic plan is focused on maximizing the value of its portfolio through the timely development of new fields and anticipated monetization of the discoveries. In the mid-downstream businesses, Eni confirms the strategy aiming at quick economic and financial rebalancing through cost discipline, continuing renegotiation of long-term gas supply contracts, restructuring of inefficient plants and product and marketing innovation.