Saipem S.p.A. (Società Anonima Italiana Perforazioni E Montaggi lit. ''Drilling and Assembly Italian Public Limited Company'') is an Italian multinational
oilfield services
This is a list of oilfield service companies – notable companies that provide services to the petroleum exploration and production industry but do not typically produce petroleum. In the list, notable subsidiary companies and divisions are liste ...
company and one of the largest in the world. Until 2016 it was a subsidiary of Italian oil and gas supermajor
Eni, which retains approximately 30% of Saipem's shares.
History
Early history
The history of Saipem is deeply connected to
Enrico Mattei
Enrico Mattei (; 29 April 1906 – 27 October 1962) was an Italian public administrator. After World War II he was given the task of dismantling the Italian petroleum agency Agip, a state enterprise established by the Fascist regime. I ...
's management era of
Eni during the years of the
Italian economic miracle
The Italian economic miracle or Italian economic boom ( it, il miracolo economico italiano) is the term used by historians, economists, and the mass media to designate the prolonged period of strong economic growth in Italy after the Second Wor ...
. In the early 1950s Mattei had reorganized the Italian oil industry through a complex system of outright acquisitions and government investments, in order to guarantee Italy's self-reliance in energy.
At first, Mattei focused on natural gas, the only abundant source of energy available in mainland Italy, through
Snam, a newly formed gas pipelines company. In the late 1950s, Eni's subsidiary Snam came to head two sub-holdings: Snam Montaggi, created in 1955 to build pipelines and drilling platforms, and Snam Progetti, created in 1956, specializing in tankers. In 1957 drilling company Saip, a subsidiary of
Agip
Agip (''Azienda Generale Italiana Petroli'', en, General Italian Oil Company) is an Italian automotive gasoline, diesel, LPG, lubricants, fuel oil, and bitumen retailer established in 1926. It has been a subsidiary of the multinational petrol ...
(Eni's fuel retailer), was merged with Snam Montaggi to create Saipem.
Saipem was a pioneer in offshore drilling and pipelines construction in Europe; in 1959 it started drilling oil off the coast of
Gela, in Sicily and in the early 1960s initiated the Central European Line pipeline, running from the port of
Genoa
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of G ...
to
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 ...
, where Eni Deutschland subsidiary was building refineries in
Ingolstadt
Ingolstadt (, Austro-Bavarian: ) is an independent city on the Danube in Upper Bavaria with 139,553 inhabitants (as of June 30, 2022). Around half a million people live in the metropolitan area. Ingolstadt is the second largest city in Upper Ba ...
. In addition, in 1961 Saipem built a 1,140 km long oil pipeline in India and a gas pipeline in Iraq.
1970s-1990s
In 1978, Saipem laid down
Castoro Sei, a column stabilized semi-submersible
pipelay vessel. In the same year Sapiem was commissioned the construction of
IGAT-2 pipeline in Iran. About 80 per cent of the line had been completed by 1985, when the works had to be halted because of the
Iran-Iraq war.
In 1983, Saipem completed the construction of the massive
Trans-Mediterranean Pipeline, linking Algeria to Italy.
In 1988, a joint venture between Saipem and
Brown & Root
KBR, Inc. (formerly Kellogg Brown & Root) is a U.S. based company operating in fields of science, technology and engineering. KBR works in various markets including aerospace, defense, industrial and intelligence. After Halliburton acquired Dress ...
was formed, known as European Marine Contractors, that realized two major projects:
Zeepipe, completed in 1993, a 1,416 km natural gas transportation system to transport
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian ...
natural gas to the receiving terminal at
Zeebrugge
Zeebrugge (, from: ''Brugge aan zee'' meaning "Bruges at Sea", french: Zeebruges) is a village on the coast of Belgium and a subdivision of Bruges, for which it is the modern port. Zeebrugge serves as both the international port of Bruges-Zeeb ...
in
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to the ...
; and a 707 km trunkline connecting
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
with Yancheng 13-1 gasfield, located in the
Yinggehai Basin, completed in 1994.
In 199,1 Saipem started operating
Saipem 7000
The ''Saipem 7000'' is the world's third largest semi-submersible crane vessel, after the and the . It is owned by the oil and gas industry contractor Saipem S.p.A.
Construction
The vessel was designed by Gusto Engineering during 1984.
The v ...
, the world's second biggest
crane vessel.
In 1996, the
Maghreb–Europe Gas Pipeline linked Algerian gasfields to Spain.
In 1995-1999, Saipem was the main contractor for the construction of
Europipe I and
Europipe II natural gas pipelines, connecting
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and th ...
to
Germany.
21st century
In the 21st century, Saipem carried on a number of acquisitions, culminating in the purchase of
Bouygues Offshore for $1 billion in 2002. In 2006 Saipem merged with
Snamprogetti, a subsidiary of Eni specializing in the design and execution of large scale offshore projects for the production and transportation of hydrocarbons. Through the merger, the new group strengthened its position in West Africa, Middle East, Central Asia, and South East Asia and acquired significant technological competence in gas monetization and heavy oil exploitation.
In 2001-2003, Saipem built the offshore section of
Blue Stream, a major trans-
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Ro ...
gas pipeline that carries natural gas from
Russia into
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...
.
In 2003-2004, Saipem built the
Greenstream pipeline, connecting
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...
to
Sicily
Sicily ( it, Sicilia , ) is the list of islands in the Mediterranean, largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. The Strait of Messina divides it from the region of Calabria in Southern Italy. I ...
.
In 2006, Saipem completed the sealines of the
Dolphin Gas Project The Dolphin Gas Project is the natural gas project of Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman. It is the Gulf Cooperation Council's first cross-border refined gas transmission project and the largest energy-related venture ever undertaken in the ...
, connecting Qatar's
North Field to the
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia ( The Middle East). It is located at t ...
and
Oman
Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of t ...
.
In 2006-2008, Saipem laid down
Scarabeo 8
''Scarabeo 8'' is an ultra deepwater 6th generation semi-submersible drilling rig. It is owned and operated by Saipem. The vessel is registered in Nassau, Bahamas.
Description
''Scarabeo 8'' is an ultra deepwater 6th generation semi-submersibl ...
and
Scarabeo 9 ultra deepwater 6th generation semi-submersible
drilling rig
A drilling rig is an integrated system that Drilling, drills wells, such as oil or water wells, or holes for piling and other construction purposes, into the earth's subsurface. Drilling rigs can be massive structures housing equipment used to ...
s, completed in 2011–12.
In 2011, Saipem completed the two 1,220 km gas sealines of
Nord Stream 1
Nord Stream (German-English mixed expression; german: Nord and en, Stream, literally 'North Stream'; russian: Северный поток, ''Severny potok'') is a pair of offshore natural gas pipelines in Europe that run under the Baltic Sea ...
, a system of offshore natural gas pipelines from
Russia to
Germany and the longest in the world.
In 2013, Saipem was awarded a $3 billion contract for the development of the Egina oil field, located approximately 150 km off the coast of
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of G ...
in the
Gulf of Guinea
The Gulf of Guinea is the northeasternmost part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean from Cape Lopez in Gabon, north and west to Cape Palmas in Liberia. The intersection of the Equator and Prime Meridian (zero degrees latitude and longitude) is ...
; the contract included engineering, procurement, fabrication, installation and pre-commissioning of 52 km of oil production and water injection flow lines, 12 flexible jumpers, 20 km of gas export pipelines, 80 km of umbilicals, and of the mooring and offloading systems.
On 8 February 2015, Saipem won a $1.8 billion contract to build two 95 km pipelines at the
Kashagan field, linking the oil fields in the
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, often described as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia; east of the Caucasus, west of the broad steppe of Central As ...
to the mainland in
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbek ...
. In November of the same year Saipem completed the pipelay on the 890 km gas export offshore pipeline for the
Inpex
INPEX (Invention and New Product Exposition) is America's largest invention trade show, held since 1985 and organized by the invention promotion firm InventHelp. The annual show is held each June in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
INPEX provides a f ...
-led
Ichthys
The ichthys or ichthus (), from the Greek (, 1st cent. AD Koine Greek pronunciation: , "fish") is (in its modern rendition) a symbol consisting of two intersecting arcs, the ends of the right side extending beyond the meeting point so as to res ...
LNG project in
Australia, what is said was the longest subsea pipeline in the southern hemisphere and the third longest in the world.
In 2016, Eni sold a 12.5% stake in Saipem (retaining a 30% share though), that was acquired by
CDP Equity, and subsequently allowed Saipem to scrap the old Eni logo and design its own, with the objective of creating a new, more autonomous company focusing on oilfield services.
In 2019, Saipem entered the airborne wind energy or energy kite systems industry via an agreement with KiteGen.
Controversies
In 2010, Saipem agreed to pay a penalty of US$30 million to settle a Nigerian investigation into a bribery case involving the construction of
Nigeria LNG
Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) is a liquefied natural gas (LNG)-producing company and a liquefied natural gas plant on Bonny Island, Nigeria.
History
Nigeria LNG Limited was incorporated as a limited liability company on 17 May 1989, to produce LN ...
facilities. Saipem is also under trial in Italy over charges relating to the same case.
In September 2018, an Italian court found Saipem and former CEO Pietro Tali, guilty of corruption over bribes in Algeria. The former CEO was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison and 197.9 million euros were seized from the company.
In September 2018, an Italian court found Saipem and former CEO Pietro Tali, guilty of corruption over bribes in Algeria. The former CEO was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison and 197.9 million euros were seized from the company.
2In January 2020, after an appeal brought before the Milan Court of Appeal, the court finally acquitted Saipem and all managers involved.
Corporate affairs
Headquarters and offices
Saipem's headquarters are located in
San Donato Milanese
San Donato Milanese ( Milanese: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Milan in the Italian region Lombardy, located about southeast of Milan. It is served by the San Donato underground station right on the borderline betwe ...
, a suburb of
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...
, Italy.
Saipem has offices in over 60 countries, including:
*Europe: Italy, France, Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Luxemburg, Norway, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Poland, Romania
*America: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, U.S.A., Venezuela, Suriname
*CIS: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Georgia
*Africa: Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, Congo, Egypt, Gabon, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Sudan, Mozambique
*Middle East: United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Oman, Qatar, Iraq, Kuwait
*Far East and Oceania: Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand.
Subdidiaries
The group headed by Saipem S.p.A. includes approximately 90 companies and consortia, based all around the world.
Board of directors
The current chairman of Siapem S.p.A. is
Francesco Caio since May 3, 2018. Before his appointment as chairman, Caio was CEO of
Poste Italiane. The current CEO of Saipem is Stefano Cao, since 30 April 2015. Cao has spent his entire professional career working for Saipem and Eni.
Main Shareholders 's
On the basis of the information available and the communications received pursuant to CONSOB Resolution 11971/1999 (Issuers Regulations), the shareholders holding shares totalling to more than 3% of the share capital of Saipem S.p.A. are:
Main Offshore Pipe-laying fleets at December 31, 2017
Main Drilling fleets at December 31, 2017
*Semi-submersible platform Scarabeo 5
*Semi-submersible platform Scarabeo 6
*Semi-submersible platform Scarabeo 7
*Semi-submersible platform
Scarabeo 8
''Scarabeo 8'' is an ultra deepwater 6th generation semi-submersible drilling rig. It is owned and operated by Saipem. The vessel is registered in Nassau, Bahamas.
Description
''Scarabeo 8'' is an ultra deepwater 6th generation semi-submersibl ...
*Semi-submersible platform
Scarabeo 9
*Drillship Saipem 10000
*Drillship Saipem 12000
*Jack-up Perro Negro 2
*Jack-up Perro Negro 3
*Jack-up Perro Negro 4
*Jack-up Perro Negro 5
*Jack-up Perro Negro 7
*Jack-up Perro Negro 8
*Tender Assisted Drilling Barge
Main FPSO's at December 31, 2017
*Saipem Cidade de Vitoria
*Saipem Gimboa
*Saipem Kaombo (not owned)
See also
*
List of Italian companies
Italy is a unitary parliamentary republic in Europe with the third largest nominal GDP in the Eurozone and the eighth largest in the world. As an advanced economy the country also has the sixth worldwide national wealth and it is ranked thir ...
*
List of oilfield service companies
This is a list of oilfield service companies – notable companies that provide services to the petroleum exploration and production industry but do not typically produce petroleum. In the list, notable subsidiary companies and divisions are liste ...
References
Essential bibliography
* (en) Paul H. Frankel, ''Oil and Power Policy'', New York - Washington, Praeger, 1966
* (en) Marcello Boldrini, ''Mattei'', Rome, Colombo, 1969
* (it) Marcello Colitti, ''Energia e sviluppo in Italia'', Bari, De Donato, 1979
* (it)
Nico Perrone, ''Enrico Mattei'', Bologna, Il mulino, 2001
External links
*
{{Petroleum industry
Eni
Energy engineering and contractor companies
Engineering companies of Italy
Energy companies established in 1957
Oil and gas companies of Italy
Companies based in Milan
Italian brands
Italian companies established in 1957