MILAN, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Italy won't use special powers

designed to shield assets deemed of strategic value for the

country in relation to Vitol-backed VTTI's acquisition of

Adriatic LNG, Italy's biggest liquefied gas terminal, two

sources with knowledge of the matter said.

The sources on Tuesday said Italy had cleared the path for

the deal to go through by deciding not to use its 'golden

powers' which allow the state to set conditions for a deal or

block it altogether.

Earlier this year ExxonMobil ( XOM ) and QatarEnergy agreed

to sell their stakes in the Adriatic LNG terminal, with VTTI

getting a 70% stake and Italian gas grid operator Snam

increasing its holding to 30%.

Adriatic LNG will be the first operational LNG asset in the

portfolio of VTTI, whose shareholders comprise global commodity

trader Vitol, Australian investment manager IFM and Abu Dhabi

National Oil Company (ADNOC).

The terminal is located about nine miles (15 km) off the

northeastern Veneto region's coastline and has a regasification

capacity of nine billion cubic metres of natural gas per year.

Europe has increased LNG imports after Russia's invasion

of Ukraine in 2022 drastically curtailed gas coming through

pipelines.

The deal is expected to value the entire terminal at around

800 million euros including debt, sources have previously said.

(Reporting by Francesca Landini in Milan and Angelo Amante in

Rome; Editing by Valentina Za)