Activities – Wholesale Business
Fuels
Eni markets gasoline and other fuels on the wholesale market in Italy, including diesel fuel for automotive use and for heating purposes, for agricultural vehicles and for vessels and fuel oil. Major customers are resellers, agricultural users, manufacturing industries, public utilities and transports, as well as final users (transporters, condominiums, farmers, fishers, etc.). Eni provides its customers with its expertise in the area of fuels with a wide range of products that cover all market requirements. Along with traditional products provided with the high quality Eni standard, there is also an innovative low environmental impact line, which includes AdvanceDiesel especially targeted for heavy duty public and private transports. Customer care and product distribution is supported by a widespread commercial and logistical organization presence all over Italy and articulated in local marketing offices and a network of agents and concessionaires.
Wholesale sales in Italy (8.37 mmtonnes) declined by approximately 253 ktonnes, or 2.9%, mainly due to declining sales of bunkering and bitumen due to lower demand, almost completely offset by higher sales of fuel oil and minor products. Average market share in 2013 was 28.8% (29.5% in 2012). Supplies of feedstock to the chemical industry (1.32 mmtonnes) registerd a slight increase compared to 2012 (up 62 ktonnes) due to higher feedstock supplies.
Wholesale sales in the Rest of Europe of approximately 4.23 mmtonnes increased by 6.8% from 2012 due to higher sales in Slovenia and France. Sales declined in Austria. Other sales (19.45 mmtonnes) decreased by 3.75 mmtonnes, or 16.2%, mainly due to lower sales to other oil companies.
Eni is also active in the international market of bunkering, marketing marine fuel mainly in 106 ports, of which 72 are in Italy. In 2013, marine fuel sales were 1.33 mmtonnes (of which 1.23 mmtonnes in Italy).
LPG
In Italy, Eni is leader in LPG production, marketing and sale with 619 ktonnes sold for heating and automotive use equal to a 20.8% market share. An additional 206 ktonnes of LPG were marketed through other channels mainly to oil companies and traders. LPG activities in Italy are supported by direct production, availability from 5 bottling plants and 4 owned storage sites, in addition to products imported at coastal storage sites located in Livorno, Naples and Ravenna.
Outside Italy, LPG sales in 2013 amounted to 510 ktonnes of which 389 ktonnes in Ecuador where LPG market share is around 37.8%.
Lubricants
Eni operates seven (owned and co-owned) blending plants, in Italy, Europe, North and South America, Africa and the Far East. With a wide range of products composed of over 650 different blends Eni masters international state of the art know-how for the formulation of products for vehicles (engine oil, special fluids and transmission oils) and industries (lubricants for hydraulic systems, industrial machinery and metal processing). In Italy, Eni is leader in the manufacture and sale of lubricant bases. Base oils are manufactured primarily at Eni’s refinery in Livorno. Eni also owns one facility for the production of additives and solvents in Robassomero. In 2013, retail and wholesale sales in Italy amounted to 94 ktonnes with a 23.6% market share. Eni also sold approximately 3 ktonnes of special products (white oils, transformer oil and anti-freeze fluids). Outside Italy sales amounted to approximately 170 ktonnes, of these about 40% were registered in Europe (mainly Spain, Germany, Austria and France).
Oxygenates
Eni, through its subsidiary Ecofuel (Eni’s interest 100%), sold approximately 1 mmtonnes/y of oxygenates mainly ethers (approximately 2.7% of world demand) and methanol (approximately 0.6% of world demand). About 72% of products are manufactured in Italy in Eni’s plants in Ravenna, in Venezuela (in joint venture with Pequiven) and Saudi Arabia (in joint venture with Sabic) and the remaining 28% is bought and resold. Eni also distributes bio-ETBE (Ethyl-Tertiary-Butyl-Ether) on the Italian market in compliance with the new legislation indicating the minimum content of bio-fuels.
Bio-ETBE is a kind of MTBE that gained a relevant position in the formulation of gasoline in the European Union, due to the fact that it is produced from ethanol from agricultural crops and qualified as bio-component in the European directive on bio-fuels. Starting from March 1, 2010, Italian regulation on bio-fuels content has been changed from 3% to 3.5%. Through Bio-ETBE and FAME blending into fossil fuels Eni covered the compliance within 109.6% in 2011. From January 1, 2012, the compulsory content of bio-fuels increases to 4.5% from 4% in 2011, Eni plans to cover compliance through Bio-ETBE, FAME and biodiesel in its Venice refinery and direct blending of ethanol in gasolines in particular in some plants of the Sannazzaro refinery.