Last November we warned our readers to keep a close eye on the important Belgian company Distrigas, as Suez is required to sell its 57.3% stake in the company as part of its merger requirements. Pursued with enormous interest by several European national champions (including EdF and E.ON), Distrigas is a strategically important company, controlling a gas pipeline between continental Europe and the United Kingdom while active in seven markets. It is a critical company connecting natural gas sources to energy thirsty markets. And as we’ve argued here on the blog, there is reason to believe that Gazprom would greatly benefit from an interest in Distrigas. So do we have an official winner now? Yesterday and today the media has been reporting on the winner of the Suez auction for Distrigas: Italy’s energy giant Eni. Suez had said that it was not just looking for the highest bid, but rather the best asset swap deal. Eni comes to the table offering their valuable gas distribution network in Rome in trade for Distrigas, which has landed them “exclusive talks” to complete the negotiation for the stake.