The impoverished region of Basilicata, in the instep of the Italian boot, has long been called the Texas of Italy for oil reserves so abundant that crude bubbles out of natural springs. For years, though, local governments have hindered production amid complaints that the region wasn’t getting its fair share of the rewards and worries about potential harm to its tourism industry and the environment. Now, the Italian government—hungry for revenue and desperate to create jobs and jump start the recession-weary economy—is trying to clear the path for the country’s own Eni […]