Title: SICILY, GAS, AND OIL: A WEALTH EXPLOITED BY OTHERS
Sicily is a crucial hub for Italy and Europe’s energy supply. Three major international gas pipelines run beneath its seas and land, and 45% of Italy’s national oil is extracted from its territory. Yet, Sicilians pay higher energy prices than Northern Italy and see their wealth leave without truly benefiting from it. This occurs despite Article 37 of the Sicilian Statute, which clearly states that taxes on activities above and below the ground must be paid in Sicily. This systematic violation costs Sicilians over 60 billion euros per year.
The Three Gas Pipelines Crossing Sicily
- Transmed (Trans-Mediterranean Pipeline)
- Originates in Algeria, passes through Tunisia, and reaches Mazara del Vallo.
- Has a capacity of over 30 billion cubic meters per year.
- Serves as one of the main import routes for gas into Italy and Europe.
- Greenstream
- Connects Libya’s gas fields to Italy, landing in Gela.
- Has a capacity of approximately 8 billion cubic meters per year.
- It is the longest underwater pipeline in the Mediterranean.
- Melita TransGas Pipeline (Italy-Malta Pipeline)
- A project aimed at connecting Sicily to Malta.
- Still in development, with a strategic role for Southern Europe’s energy supply.
The Main Refineries in Sicily
- Milazzo Refinery (Messina)
- Has a processing capacity of over 10 million tons per year.
- Produces fuels for transport, energy production, and raw materials for the petrochemical sector.
- Gela Refinery
- Previously refined oil, but has now been converted to biofuel production.
- Has a production capacity of 750,000 tons per year.
- ISAB Refinery (Priolo Gargallo, Syracuse)
- One of the largest and most complex refineries in the Mediterranean.
- Has a refining capacity of 16 million tons per year, covering around 25% of Italy’s energy needs.
Oil Production Conversion to Liters
To convert production capacity from tons to liters, we consider that 1 ton of oil equals approximately 1,176 liters:
- Milazzo: 10,000,000 tons × 1,176 liters/ton = 11,760,000,000 liters
- Gela: 750,000 tons × 1,176 liters/ton = 882,000,000 liters
- ISAB (Priolo Gargallo): 16,000,000 tons × 1,176 liters/ton = 18,816,000,000 liters
Total Oil Production in Sicily: 31,458,000,000 liters per year
A 30 Billion Euro Business Per Year
Considering the value of the gas passing through Sicily, with a current average price of €0.615 per cubic meter, the total value of gas crossing the island amounts to approximately 30 billion euros per year. These billions, however, end up in others’ pockets, while Sicilians continue to pay the highest gas and electricity prices in Italy without any direct benefit.
The Violation of Article 37 of the Sicilian Statute
Article 37 of the Sicilian Statute states that all taxes on economic activities related to natural resources, both above and below the ground, must be paid in Sicily. However, the Italian government has systematically ignored this law, withholding tax revenues and depriving Sicily of essential resources.
According to estimates, this violation costs Sicily over 60 billion euros per year, an amount that could:
- Drastically reduce taxes for Sicilian businesses, boosting the local economy.
- Fund social programs to eradicate poverty.
- Develop modern infrastructure to foster growth on the island.
If Sicily Is So Rich, Why Are Young People Leaving?
Despite its vast energy wealth, businesses are closing, and young people are leaving in massive numbers. While multinational corporations and politicians divide billions among themselves, Sicilians are told that the crisis is caused by small-time drug dealers and petty crime, diverting attention from the real issue: the systematic theft of the island’s economic resources.
The Paradox of Aid for the Poor and Schifani’s Propaganda
While Sicily is deprived of billions, President Schifani boasts about allocating a few hundred thousand euros for the poor. In just six hours, 11,000 families applied for aid, only to be told that there were not enough funds for everyone. A regional government that cries poverty while 60 billion euros per year are siphoned elsewhere.
Sicilians Pay More for Their Own Fuel
In a paradoxical and unjust situation, fuel in Sicily costs on average 20 cents more per liter than in the rest of Italy. This means that Sicilians are forced to pay higher prices for the very fuel that is extracted and refined on their own land. Meanwhile, fuel is transported from Sicily to Northern Italy, where it is sold at a lower price than in the territory that produces it. This blatant exploitation further highlights how Sicilians are being economically penalized for the wealth their island generates. The economic disparity forces Sicilian families and businesses to bear a heavier financial burden, while regions that do not contribute to oil extraction benefit from more favorable prices.
Why Do Sicilians, Who Became a Republic a Year Before Italy and Are a Confederated Region, Allow Themselves to Be Exploited?
The answer lies in the continuation of the Roman strategy of ‘panem et circenses’ (bread and circuses), but without the bread, only the circuses. Sicilians today know everything about football rules, better than any referee, but they know nothing about the Sicilian Statute, which was obtained in guerrilla warfare from 1943, and on May 15, 1946, we obtained ‘Lo Statuto Autonomo,’ which was a pact of persuasion to prevent Sicily from becoming independent. This lack of awareness about their own rights enables the continuation of this system of exploitation.
The Great Deception
While politicians distract the public with crime-related narratives, the truth is different: 60 billion euros are stolen from Sicily every year, an amount that could solve all economic problems, ensuring development, jobs, and prosperity for all. As long as this system persists, Sicily will remain condemned to poverty and the mass exodus of its youth. It is time to open our eyes and demand what rightfully belongs to our land.
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