Po Valley today said the Emilia Romagna region’s environmental authority had granted the environmental decree – one of the last hurdles allowing first commercial gas outputs from the company’s 100%-owned Sillaro field near Bologna.

Managing director Michael Masterman said the decree was now in the hands of the Italian Ministry to progress it through the final steps to the issuing of a production concession.

Masterman said he was confident the company would make an announcement in the near term regarding environmental approval for Po Valley’s planned second producing field at Castello, near Milan.

Fabrication and construction of the surface plant for both Sillaro and Castello is advancing on schedule and is more than 20% complete, with similar well advanced work on the spur lines connecting Sillaro and Castello to Italy’s main northern gas distribution network.