La produzione di gas offshore: il caso italiano

This dissertation deals with the natural gas drilling of a specific country, i.e., Italy. In order to illustrate it, the research is articulated as follows: a first chapter focuses on the context in which the drilling takes place, that is, the sea; the second chapter deals with the geopolitical dynamics of a specific sea, i.e. the Mediterranean; the third chapter – which constitutes the heart of the dissertation – analyzes the topic of natural gas drilling in Italy, along with the current issues related to it; finally, the fourth chapter concerns the future scenarios of energy, in the context of the green transition. In order to provide a multifaced perspective of the increasing importance of sea, the first chapter analyzes, in the first place, its relevance from a strategic point of view, with the illustration of Mahan’s Sea Power theory. Since strategy appears to be linked to economy, a second paragraph is dedicated to the economic importance of sea: in this section, the dissertation analyzes the concept of “blue economy”, as well as the economic relevance of the Italian maritime cluster. In addition, the chapter provides the legal framework prescribing all the activities related to the use of the sea, that is, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). This document is investigated not only for its definition of maritime zones, but also for its introduction of the “Exclusive Economic Zone” (EEZ). The second chapter focuses on the Mediterranean Sea: this basin, firstly analyzed from its “wider” perspective, appears to be, in its Eastern portion, particularly crucial in the context of energy. For this reason, after an overview of the main disputes which characterize this basin – mainly attributable to Turkey – the dissertation analyzes the energy scenario of three case studies: Israel, Egypt, and Cyprus. The third chapter deals with the Italian case. After an overview of Italy’s history of energy, the research shows how, in recent years, the country struggles with issues related to its energy security. For this reason, by analyzing the causes which led Italy to become a natural gas importer, the dissertation focuses on some environmental concerns, and, in particular, on the risk of subsidence related to the offshore drilling. In this context, the “Piano per la Transizione Energetica delle Aree Idonee” (PiTESAI) is analyzed as well. In conclusion, the fourth chapter provides an overview of the future scenarios of energy, with reference to the goals of energy transition and decarbonization prescribed by the Paris Agreement. In this section, the dissertation highlights the role of renewable gases, and, in particular, the potential of green hydrogen. Finally, by means of Marco Piredda’s contribution, the research illustrates Eni’s projects in the context of the energy transition.