Agip S.p.A., acronym for Azienda generale italiana petroli, was an Italian automotive gasoline, diesel, LPG, lubricants, fuel oil, and bitumen retailer established in 1926 and subsidiary of Eni S.p.A.
With a royal decree on April 3, 1926, the government of the Kingdom of Italy established the Azienda generale italiana petroli (Agip), a joint-stock company, to conduct all activities relating to the petroleum industry.
60 percent of the share capital was held by the Ministry of the Treasury, 20% by Istituto Nazionale Assicurazioni (INA), and the remaining 20% by the Italian Social Insurance fund.
Volpi di Misurata, however, was directly involved in oil-related interests, working together with FIAT of Giovanni Agnelli, and with the financial backing of Banca Commerciale Italiana, which had searched unsuccessfully for oil in Emilia-Romagna.
In 1927 a Mining Act was enacted, which gave the ownership of the subsoil to the State and imposed the rule that any oil-related activity was subject to government authorization and/or grant.