Eni keeps foot on the gas in high-speed Gulf drive
挨尼公司在海湾加速天然气开发
MILAN (Reuters) - In less than 12 months Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi has turned the Middle East from a sideshow to a strategic hub for the Italian energy major. And the shift is not over.
米兰（路透社）-在不到12个月的时间里，埃尼集团首席执行官克劳迪奥·德卡齐（Claudio Descalzi）将中东从一个次要的地方变成了意大利能源巨头的战略中心。这种转变还没有结束。
Since last March the 63-year-old has clinched nine deals in the United Arab Emirates, gained a toehold in Bahrain and expanded in Oman to reshape the group’s future.
自去年3月以来，这位63岁的球员已经在阿拉伯联合酋长国完成了9笔交易，在巴林获得了一席之地，并在阿曼扩大业务，重塑了该集团的未来。
In the latest deal on Sunday, Eni pledged $3.3 billion to buy part of the world’s fourth-biggest refinery in the UAE, increasing its own refining capacity overnight by more than a third.
在上周日的最新交易中，埃尼集团承诺斥资33亿美元收购阿联酋世界第四大炼油厂的一部分，使自己的炼油能力一夜之间增加了三分之一以上。
But the buying spree is not over and the company is looking to further bolster its presence in the Gulf region, according to three banking and industry sources with knowledge of the matter.
但据知情的三家银行和行业消息人士透露，收购热潮尚未结束，该公司正寻求进一步加强其在海湾地区的业务。
They said Eni was now primarily targeting “upstream” exploration assets - oil and gas fields - rather than downstream operations.
他们表示，埃尼集团目前主要针对的是“上游”勘探资产——油气田——而不是下游业务。
The company is looking to buy more assets in the UAE, as well as entering Qatar, the sources said, without giving further details.
消息人士说，该公司希望在阿联酋购买更多资产，并进入卡塔尔，但没有透露更多细节。
“Descalzi was in the UAE 20-odd times last year to personally build relationships to secure the deals,” said a separate industry source. “And there’s more on the way.”
另一个业内消息人士说：“去年，Descalzi在阿联酋呆了20多次，亲自建立关系以确保交易的安全。”“还有更多的事情要做。”
Eni declined to comment.
埃尼拒绝置评。
The Gulf drive is part of Descalzi’s plans to cut Eni’s traditional reliance on Africa, which accounts for more than half its production while gaining more exposure to refining assets in an oil-rich region closer to Asian markets.
海湾开发是Descalzi计划的一部分，该计划旨在减少埃尼集团对非洲的传统依赖，非洲占其产量的一半以上，同时在靠近亚洲市场的石油资源丰富的地区获得更多的炼油资产敞口。
In recent years, weakness in the company’s downstream businesses like refining and chemicals have dragged on profits and placed more of a premium on securing success in exploration.
近年来，该公司炼油和化工等下游业务的疲软拖累了公司的利润，并为确保勘探成功付出了更大的代价。
Its heavy presence in Africa, with the risk associated with working in places like Libya and Nigeria, has also weighed on share price performance.
它在非洲的大量存在，以及在利比亚和尼日利亚等地工作的风险，也影响了股价表现。
A banking source with knowledge of the matter said Eni was targeting the Gulf area of the Middle East because it did not have the political and security risks of countries like Iraq.
一位了解此事的银行消息人士说，埃尼集团的目标是中东海湾地区，因为它没有伊拉克等国家的政治和安全风险。
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The Gulf region has in recent years attracted the world’s top oil companies seeking stakes in big and easy-to-develop oil and gas fields at a time of uncertainty over oil prices.
近年来，海湾地区吸引了世界顶尖的石油公司，在石油价格不确定的情况下，寻求在大型且易于开发的油气田中投资。
Long-term contracts in the region also guarantee stable revenues even if the returns are lower than other, riskier fields.
该地区的长期合同也保证了稳定的收入，即使回报低于其他风险更大的领域。
But while majors like BP, Total, Shell and Exxon have had a strong presence in the Gulf for decades, Eni has not.
但是，尽管像英国石油公司、道达尔石油公司、壳牌石油公司和埃克森石油公司这样的大公司在海湾地区已经存在了几十年，但埃尼集团却没有。
The Italian firm’s strategy of selling down assets like its prize Zohr gas field in Egypt has been key to its recent expansion in the region.
这家意大利公司出售其在埃及的Zohr气田等资产的策略是其最近在该地区扩张的关键。
Last March Eni traded a stake in Zohr with Emirates fund Mubadala to get its first foothold in the country, since when it has clinched a flurry of more deals with UAE oil giant ADNOC.
去年3月，埃尼与阿联酋穆巴达拉基金（Emirates Fund Mubadala）交易了Zohr的一部分股份，以获得在该国的第一个立足点，因为当时埃尼与阿联酋石油巨头Adnoc达成了一系列更多的交易。
“Zohr was used as a way in. Since then the group has ramped up operations lightning fast in an area that has some of the world’s biggest resources and that’s on the doorstep of Asia,” said Mediobanca oil analyst Alessandro Pozzi.
“佐尔被用来作为一种方式。从那时起，该集团在一个拥有世界上最大资源的地区迅速扩大了业务，这是亚洲的门户，”Mediobanca石油分析师Alessandro Pozzi说。
In Qatar, Eni can count on good relations with the state petroleum firm which recently bought Mexican oil blocks from the Italian company.
在卡塔尔，埃尼集团可以指望与最近从意大利公司购买墨西哥石油区块的国家石油公司保持良好关系。
A decade ago Eni was struggling to replace reserves and lost credibility over its management of the huge Kashagan oilfield in Kazakhstan.
十年前，埃尼集团一直在努力更换储量，并在哈萨克斯坦卡沙干油田的管理上失去了信誉。
But giant gas discoveries in Mozambique and Egypt have since given it the strongest discovery record in the industry, boosting its credentials with oil-producing nations.
但莫桑比克和埃及的巨大天然气发现使其获得了业内最强的发现记录，提高了其在石油生产国的地位。
In 2017 ADNOC presented its 2030 strategy plan to open up its energy markets to foreign operators and attract the skills needed to develop the exploration and production, refining and petrochemical industries.
2017年，ADNOC提出了其2030年战略计划，向外国运营商开放能源市场，并吸引发展勘探与生产、炼油和石化行业所需的技能。
“When you are a country thinking, who can find the stuff, you look to Eni with its track record,” said a source familiar with Eni management.
一位熟悉ENI管理层的消息人士说：“如果你是一个国家的人，谁能找到这些东西，你就可以看看ENI的业绩。”