By Adam L. Freeman and Tommaso Ebhardt

Nov. 3 (Bloomberg) — A group of Italian and international investors may offer to buy a refinery in northern Italy owned by Eni SpA, the country’s biggest energy company, according to a petroleum industry trade association.

The investors are seeking a meeting soon with Eni Chief Executive Officer Paolo Scaroni to discuss the offer for the refinery at Livorno, Enrico Risaliti, head of Assopetroli, told Bloomberg Television today. His group represents Italian small and medium-sized fuel distributors.

Risaliti said the international partner has “wells that produce light crude” that can be processed at the Livorno plant. He didn’t identify the investors. An official with Rome- based Eni didn’t immediately comment.

The plant in the northern part of Tuscany has daily output capacity of 84,000 barrels and produces mainly gasoline, fuel oil for ships, specialty products and lubricant bases, according to Eni’s Web site. The facility needs 200 million euros ($255 million) in investments, according to Risaliti.

Rome-based Eni is cutting investment on refinery upgrades to 2.4 billion euros for the next four years, according to its annual fact book published April 14. That’s less than the 3 billion-euro investment program Eni forecast in the 2006 annual fact book.

The Livorno plan will be closed if it isn’t modernized, Gabrielle Valeri, a labor union official, said in an Oct. 3 interview.

To contact the reporter on this story: Adam L. Freeman in Rome at afreeman5@bloomberg.net

Posted on Monday, November 3rd, 2008 at 4:39 pm and is filed under Energy Companies, Energy Trading.
Tags: Adam, Adam L. Freeman, afreeman5@bloomberg.net, Bloomberg Television, energy, Eni SpA, Enrico Risaliti, EUR, fuel oil, Gabrielle Valeri, Italy, Paolo Scaroni, Rome, USD.