(Adds Eni comment, shares, background)
MILAN, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Italian prosecutors have asked forthe CEO of state-controlled oil major Eni, ClaudioDescalzi, to stand trial over alleged corruption in Nigeria,judicial sources said on Wednesday.
The prosecutors also asked for 10 other people, includingformer Eni CEO Paolo Scaroni, to be sent for trial along withthe Eni and Royal Dutch Shell companies, the sourcessaid.
Scaroni was not immediately available for comment. Nocomment was immediately available from Shell.
The case revolves around the purchase in 2011 of Nigeria'sOPL-245 offshore oil block by Eni and Shell for about $1.3billion.
The prosecutors' request comes amid political uncertainty inItaly and just weeks before the government is due to propose itsCEO candidate for ENI for the next three years.
Descalzi, who since taking the helm in 2014 has refocusedthe group on its primary role of finding oil and gas, could bereappointed.
At 1415 GMT Eni shares were down 1.8 percent at 13.95 euros,after reaching their lowest level in nine weeks of 13.93 euros.The European oil and gas index was down 0.7 percent.
In emailed comments, an Eni spokesperson said the companyhad not been informed of any decision and had acted correctly.
Under Italian law a company can be held responsible if it isdeemed to have failed to prevent, or attempt to prevent, a crimeby an employee that benefited the company.
The Italian probe is one of several threads of inquiry underway into the acquisition of OPL-245, including current cases inHolland and Nigeria.
In January a Nigerian court ordered the temporary forfeitureof assets and the transfer of operations of the oilfield.
Italian prosecutors closed their investigations into thecase in December last year.
A court must now set a date for a hearing at which a judgewill decide whether to accept the prosecutors' request or acquitthe accused. (Reporting by Manuela D'Alessandro; Writing by Stephen Jewkes;Editing by Ruth Pitchford)