“We are working … to boost … the use of natural gas to help Congo and to build a new power plant that will cover 80% of the country’s needs,” Umberto Vergine said in a speech at a conference here. “It will use the residual gas which otherwise would be burned and could produce pollution and CO2,” he added.
Eni CEO Paolo Scaroni visited the Republic of Congo earlier this month, as well as Angola and Gabon, to look for opportunities especially in electricity production and biofuels.
The energy company signed a development deal with the country in May and has a project in place to start producing oil from tar sands there by 2011. It bought assets in Republic of Congo fields from France’s Maurel & Prom last year and boosted its stake in the country’s M’Boundi field when it bought Burren Energy last year. (Reuters)