MILAN, July 16 (Reuters) - Venture Global ( VG ) will

supply 2 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of liquefied natural

gas from its Calcasieu Pass 2 project over 20 years to Italian

state-controlled energy group Eni, the two companies

said on Wednesday.

The deal is Eni's first long-term contract for LNG

supply from the United States and will help it expand and

diversify its global LNG footprint.

Part of these volumes will contribute to the

diversification of Europe's gas supplies, Eni said in a

statement.

Eni said it would start receiving the cargoes at the end

of the decade from the facility currently under development in

Louisiana.

(Additional reporting by Katha Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by

Sahal Muhammed)