Market Risk

The Company actively manages market risk in accordance with a set of policies and guidelines that provide a centralized model of conducting finance, treasury and risk management operations based on separate entities: the parent company’s (Eni SpA) finance department, Eni Coordination Center and Banque Eni which is subject to certain bank regulatory restrictions preventing the Group’s exposure to concentrations of credit risk and Eni Trading & Shipping that has the mandate to manage and monitor solely commodity derivative contracts.

In particular Eni SpA and Eni Coordination Center manage subsidiaries’ financing requirements in and outside Italy, respectively, covering funding requirements and using available surpluses. All transactions concerning currencies and derivative financial contracts are managed by the parent company as well as the activity of trading certificates according to the European Union Emission Trading Scheme.

The commodity risk is managed by each business unit with Eni Trading & Shipping ensuring the negotiation of hedging derivatives. Eni uses derivative financial instruments (derivatives) in order to minimize exposure to market risks related to changes in exchange rates and interest rates and to manage exposure to commodity prices fluctuations. Eni does not enter into derivative transactions on a speculative basis.

The framework defined by Eni’s policies and guidelines prescribes that measurement and control of market risk be performed on the basis of maximum tolerable levels of risk exposure defined in accordance with value-at-risk techniques. These techniques make a statistical assessment of the market risk on the Group’s activity, i.e., potential gain or loss in fair values, due to changes in market conditions taking account of the correlation existing among changes in fair value of existing instruments. Eni’s finance departments define maximum tolerable levels of risk exposure to changes in interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates, pooling Group companies risk positions.

Eni’s calculation and measurement techniques for interest rate and foreign currency exchange rate risks are in accordance with established banking standards, as established by the Basel Committee for bank activities surveillance. Tolerable levels of risk are based on a conservative approach, considering the industrial nature of the company. Eni’s guidelines prescribe that Eni’s Group companies minimize such kinds of market risks. With regard to the commodity risk, Eni’s policies and guidelines define rules to manage this risk aiming at the optimization of core activities and the pursuing of preset targets of industrial margins.

The maximum tolerable level of risk exposure is pre-defined in terms of value-at-risk in connection with trading and commercial activities, while the strategic risk exposure to commodity prices fluctuations – i.e. the impact on the Group’s business results deriving from changes in commodity prices – is monitored in terms of value-at-risk, albeit not hedged in a systematic way. Accordingly, Eni evaluates the opportunity to mitigate its commodity risk exposure by entering into hedging transactions in view of certain acquisition deals of oil and gas reserves as part of the Group’s strategy to achieve its growth targets or ordinary asset portfolio management.

The Group controls commodity risk with a maximum value-at-risk limit awarded to each business unit. Hedging needs from business units are pooled by Eni Trading & Shipping which also manages its own risk exposure. The three different market risks, whose management and control have been summarized above, are described below.

Exchange rate risk derives from the fact that Eni’s operations are conducted in currencies other than the euro (mainly in the U.S. dollar). Revenues and expenses denominated in foreign currencies may be significantly affected by exchange rates fluctuations due to conversion differences on single transactions arising from the time lag existing between execution and definition of relevant contractual terms (economic risk) and conversion of foreign currency-denominated trade and financing payables and receivables (transactional risk). Exchange rate fluctuations affect Group’s reported results and net equity as financial statements of subsidiaries denominated in currencies other than the euro are translated from their functional currency into euro (translation risk). Generally, an appreciation of the U.S. dollar versus the euro has a positive impact on Eni’s results of operations, and vice-versa.

Eni’s foreign exchange risk management policy is to minimize economic and transactional exposures arising from foreign currency movements. Eni does not undertake any hedging activity for risks deriving from the translation of foreign currency denominated profits or assets and liabilities of subsidiaries which prepare financial statements in a currency other than the euro, except for single transactions to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Effective management of exchange rate risk is performed within Eni’s central finance departments which match opposite positions within Group companies, hedging the Group net exposure through the use of certain derivatives, such as currency swaps, forwards and options. Such derivatives are evaluated at fair value on the basis of market prices provided by specialized sources.

Changes in fair value of those derivatives are normally recognized through the profit and loss account as they do not meet the formal criteria to be recognized as hedges in accordance with IAS 39. The VAR techniques are based on variance/covariance simulation models and are used to monitor the risk exposure arising from possible future changes in market values over a 24-hour period within a 99% confidence level and a 20-day holding period.

Changes in interest rates affect the market value of financial assets and liabilities of the company and the level of finance charges. Eni’s interest rate risk management policy is to minimize risk with the aim to achieve financial structure objectives defined and approved in the management’s finance plans. Borrowing requirements of the Group’s companies are pooled by the Group’s central finance department in order to manage net positions and the funding of portfolio developments consistently with management’s plans while maintaining a level of risk exposure within prescribed limits.

Eni enters into interest rate derivative transactions, in particular interest rate swaps, to effectively manage the balance between fixed and floating rate debt. Such derivatives are evaluated at fair value on the basis of market prices provided from specialized sources. Changes in fair value of those derivatives are normally recognized through the profit and loss account as they do not meet the formal criteria to be accounted for under the hedge accounting method in accordance with IAS 39. Value at risk deriving from interest rate exposure is measured daily on the basis of a variance/covariance model, with a 99% confidence level and a 20-day holding period.

Eni's results of operations are affected by changes in the prices of commodities. A decrease in oil and gas prices generally has a negative impact on Eni's results of operations and vice-versa.

Eni manages exposure to commodity price risk arising in normal trading and commercial activities in view of achieving stable margins. In order to accomplish this, Eni uses derivatives traded on the organized markets of ICE and NYMEX (futures) and derivatives traded over the counter (swaps, forward, contracts for differences and options) with the underlying commodities being crude oil, refined products or electricity.

Such derivatives are evaluated at fair value on the basis of market prices provided from specialized sources or, absent market prices, on the basis of estimates provided by brokers or suitable evaluation techniques. Changes in fair value of those derivatives are normally recognized through the profit and loss account as they do not meet the formal criteria to be recognized as hedges in accordance with IAS 39. Value at risk deriving from commodity exposure is measured daily on the basis of a historical simulation technique, with a 95% confidence level and a one-day holding period.

The following table shows amounts in terms of value at risk, recorded in 2010 (compared with 2009) relating to interest rate and exchange rate risks in the first section, and commodity risk in the second section. Var values are stated in U.S. dollars, the currency used in oil products markets.

(Exchange and interest rate: Value at Risk - parametric method variance/covariance; holding period: 20 days; confidence level: 99%)

(Commodity risk: Value at Risk - Historic simulation method; holding period: 1 day; confidence level: 95%)

(*)In 2008, amounts relating to the Gas & Power business also include Distrigas' contribution, since the acquisition date.