Po Valley announced yesterday that despite sub-zero temperatures currently effecting northern Italy during a nine week civil works program, construction of the access road to the well site had been completed, the site cleared and the cellar constructed for the Ideco 1200 drilling rig.

In addition, civil works on the Sillaro field at Bologna, further south of Vitalba but still in the industrialised Po Valley region of northern Italy, are also well advanced,the company said. Completion is expected towards the end of this month, subject to recurrences of recent heavy snowfalls which have prevented site access.

The company plans to drill the gas exploration well, Sillaro-1 from late in March, followed by Vitalba-1 and then Sillaro-2. It has secured firm and continuous rights to the drill rig for the three month exploration program.

Po Valley has four exploration licences and one licence application in the gas-enriched valley which lends its name to the Australian company. All assets are contained within existing gas grid infrastructures in northern Italy.