Greece Puts Offshore Acreage on the Block
Tuesday 8 August 2017
Greece has invited companies to compete for offshore blocks in a pair of exploration and production tenders, not long after ExxonMobil and Total were approved for acreage in the country.
The nascent Mediterranean hydrocarbons player is asking companies to submit expressions of interest for acreage in the Ionian Sea and Crete.
Expressions of interest can be submitted within 90 days of Greece’s public notice appearing in the Official Journal of the European Union.
US supermajor ExxonMobil and French counterpart Total recently received approval from Greek authorities for a pair of exploration tracts in the eastern Mediterranean.
The pair and joint venture partner, local player Hellenic Petroleum, are set to be confirmed as awardees for the new offshore blocks southwest and west of the island of Crete.
The trio were in late May reported to have submitted an expression of interest for exploration in the areas.
Local player Energean Oil & Gas has also been given approval for a new offshore block in the Ionian Sea off western Greece.
The eastern Mediterranean continues to be one of the hottest regions for gas prospecting, following on from huge discoveries such as the Noble Energy-led group’s Leviathan off Israel, Aphrodite off Cyprus and Eni’s massive Zohr find off Egypt.
Total is expected to soon kick off drilling on a prospect call Onesiphoros West off Cyprus, which is adjacent to Zohr.