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(Bloomberg) — Italy is in talks with Algeria to buy more natural gas from the North African nation with the Iran war squeezing energy shipments, according to people familiar with the matter.
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Italy’s Eni SpA is renegotiating contracts with Algeria’s Sonatrach to try and secure more gas, the people said, asking not to be named as the talks are private. The Algerian firm, however, has asked Italy to buy any extra fuel from the spot market, where gas is traded for immediate delivery and prices are currently higher, some of them said.
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It’s unclear whether Italy would accept those terms, the people said.
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Italy’s overtures reflect European countries’ mounting anxiety over securing oil and gas supplies, and Algeria’s role as a key alternative supplier. Countries that have pipeline links to the area could start competing to secure additional supplies. Both Italy and Spain are in talks with Algeria, seeking to boost their import of gas from the country.
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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is set to visit the capital Algiers as soon as next week. The Italian government said Meloni’s trip has been planned for a while and that energy will be discussed as part of a broader set of topics, declining to comment further. Algerian officials weren’t available for comment on Friday, a public holiday. A representative for Eni declined to comment.
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Europe received around 10% of its gas imports fro North Africa last year, and Algeria was European Union’s fourth largest LNG supplier by mid-2025.
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Spain is considering buying more gas from the country, Bloomberg News previously reported, and other European countries are similarly inquiring about increasing purchases, the people said.
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Italy previously renegotiated its gas contracts with Algeria after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, depriving Italy of crucial Russian energy supplies.
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Those contracts are now nearing expiration, and the war in Iran has made negotiations more urgent, some of the people said. Critically, Italy is Europe’s biggest buyer of liquefied natural gas from Qatar, which has already shut down production and is now facing extensive repairs after Iranian missiles struck its facilities on Thursday.
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The Qatar attacks have raised fears that it may take years for the country’s supplies to return to normal levels, with QatarEnergy potentially declaring force majeure — a contractual clause that allows it to interrupt shipments — on long-term contracts, including with Italy, for up to five years.
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In the meantime, Meloni’s government this week approved a raft of measures aimed at decreasing fuel prices, though they will only be in place for less than a month.
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—With assistance from Elena Mazneva.
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English (US)