A call for tenders has been
submitted to the Official Journal of the European Union, concerning the granting and using authorization for hydrocarbons exploration and exploitation in onshore Western Greece. (
Arta, Aetolia-Acarnania and Northwestern Peloponnese). Another call for tenders is expected to be announced shortly, regarding another twenty hydrocarbon fields, this time underwater, in the north Ionian Sea and the south of Crete. The second call is deemed even more interesting and has attracted the attention of energy giants such as Exxon Mobil, the French Total, BP, which has already informed the Greek Prime Minister on the matter and lately, the Italian Edison (controlled by the French EdF).
Energy Minister Yannis Maniatis has recently gathered 50 diplomats from foreign Embassies in Greece to inform them on recent developments. Maniatis stressed that “the big challenge is Crete; oil and gas reserves south of the island are in great water depths and only the oil majors –a term used to describe the major energy companies- can reach them. Such players are interested only in reserves delivering 500 million barrels and above.”
