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Administration, supervision, and control of the waterways are divided between two government departments. The administrative control of shipping and the ownership and commissioning of vessels is under the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, and the Ministry of Public Works is responsible for the construction and maintenance of waterways and the publication of waterway statistics.

In very recent years some of the inland waterways have been significantly improved, and further improvement and modernization are both in progress and planned. The Po, formerly usable only by 600-ton craft, is now navigable throughout much of its length by 1,485-ton barges as is the Venice-Brondolo-Po waterway. A new waterway, the Milan-Cremona-Po canal (Figure 6) is under construction and, when completed, probably by 1975, will connect Milan with the Po and thus provide direct access from Milan to the Adriatic for 1,485-ton vessels. The new 46-mile canal is to have a 126-foot width and a 12.5-foot depth. New port facilities are under construction at both Milan and Cremona. The 17-mile Venice-Padova canal, also under construction, is scheduled for completion in 1977; it will be navigable by 1,485-ton barges.

Figure 7 lists characteristics of selected inland waterways.

F. Pipelines (C)

Italy is developing extensive pipeline systems in support of a rapidly growing domestic petroleum trade and for the international movement of crude oil from Mediterranean terminals to Central Europe. More than 1,100 miles of pipelines transport crude oil, 500 miles of commercial lines are used for the distribution of refined products, and nearly 400 miles of military refined products pipelines serve NATO installations in Italy. The country's natural gas pipeline network totals more than 6,000 miles and is one of Western Europe's largest. Oil and natural gas pipelines are owned and operated by several commercial companies and the National Hydrocarbons Authority (Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi—ENI).

Large diameter crude oil lines connect inland petroleum refineries with modern port facilities; more than 60% of these lines connect with marine petroleum terminals in the Genoa area. Two large international pipeline systems transport crude oil from Italian ports to refineries in Austria, Switzerland, and West Germany. One of these, the 420-mile, 18- to 32-inch-diameter Central European Pipeline, extends from Genoa to Ingolstadt, West Germany. At Ferrera Erbognone a branch line extends northwestward to Aigle, Switzerland. The other international system is the 40-inch Trans Alpine Pipeline, which extends 285 miles from the Trieste tanker unloading terminal and extensive crude oil storage facilities through Austria to Ingolstadt, West Germany, refineries. In Austria a branch pipeline serves several petroleum refineries.

Refined products pipelines are mainly concentrated in northern Italy. Commercial lines of 4- to 20-inch diameters connect refineries with distribution facilities and powerplants. The 94-mile line from Trecate to Savona is the longest. Small diameter military pipelines transport fuels from La Spezia to Rivolto, a distance of 267 miles. At Parma, 56 miles northeast of La Spezia, a branch line extends 119 miles across Italy to Ravenna on the Adriatic coast.

An extensive natural gas pipeline network is supplied mainly by fields in the Po valley and by imported liquified natural gas, which is processed and enters the Italian lines at La Spezia. Northern Italy is interlaced with natural gas pipelines, and important trunk lines extend down both coasts. In Sicily natural gas is piped from Gagliano Castelferrato to consumers

'''FIGURE 6. Recently completed segment of the Milan-Cremona-Po canal. Looking eastward. (U/OU)'''

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APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200080003-4