Greece accepts new Chevron gas drilling interest – ministry

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ATHENS, Greece — Greece’s environment ministry on Wednesday said it had accepted additional interest from US energy giant Chevron to join hydrocarbon exploration efforts south of the island of Crete.

“The Greek government has accepted the expression of interest” for exploration areas south of the island of Crete, the ministry said in a statement.

In January, the ministry had said Chevron was also interested in drilling for gas in the Ionian Sea, from southwest of the Peloponnese peninsula to west of Crete.

The company wants to oversee exploration in an area of around 46,000 square kilometres (17,760 square miles), the ministry said.

Fellow US giant ExxonMobil has similarly expressed interest in an area of 35,655 square kilometers, it said.

A relevant international tender is upcoming, the ministry said.

Expansion

The environment ministry in January said Greece had increased the size of the area offered to hydrocarbon exploration by 25 percent.

On Wednesday, it said it had doubled the area on offer by adding another 47,000 square kilometers, “thereby significantly increasing the possibility of discovering natural gas reserves.”

Ecology groups have noted that the areas earmarked for hydrocarbon exploration in the Ionian are near a planned marine park.

The ministry in January said it would assign additional space to the park by abandoning the exploration of a small oilfield off the port village of Katakolo, and certain other gas exploration areas.