Eni in touch with Italy State Holding Over Saipem

Italian oil and gas group Eni is in touch with cash-rich state holding Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) as it looks for ways to take the debt of its Saipem unit off its balance sheet, Eni's chairwoman said on Friday.

"Our aim is to de-consolidate Saipem's debt, we're studying several options," Emma Marcegaglia told reporters on the sidelines of the Ambrosetti business forum.

One of the solutions reported to be under consideration was that CDP, already the key shareholder in Eni, could take a direct stake in Saipem.

"Let's see. We're just at the beginning, there are several contacts under way," she said when asked about the role CDP could play in relation to Saipem after the arrival of former Goldman Sachs banker Claudio Costamagna at helm of the state agency in tandem with the former chief of BNP Paribas' Italian unit.

(Reporting by Giancarlo Navach)