Italy’s state-owned ENI oil group, which is 50 percent owner of the Sinai wells, reported today that Israel will begin pumping oil from the wells “in the next few days.” A company spokesman said in Rome ENI was not “collaborating” with the Israelis in the pumping operations, but was not protesting. ENI officials denied that any financial arrangements had been made with Israel.
Some of the storage and loading facilities at the Sinai wells were damaged in the June fighting but have since been repaired. Potential production of the Italian-Egyptian wells is estimated at 4,7 million tons a year.
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