 Greek Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias' government says the search for oil and gas is its sovereign right and no other country's business. AP photo |
A top Greek Cypriot energy official said Tuesday that the Mediterranean island will go ahead with a second licensing round for offshore oil and gas exploration later this year in a move that could stoke tensions with Turkey.
Energy Service Director Solon Kassinis said in an e-mail that the licensing round "is anticipated to be announced within the second half of 2011."
The island's 51,000-square-kilometer exploration area off its southern coast is divided into 13 blocks. Kassinis said two blocks on the easternmost edge of the exploration area that were left out of the first licensing round in 2007 will be included in the second one.
Greek Cyprus has licensed U.S. firm Noble Energy to explore an 800,000-acre block bordering Israeli waters where massive gas fields have been found under the seabed, including one thought to hold up to 16 trillion cubic feet of gas.
There are currently no estimates on gas reserves inside the Greek Cypriot zone because drilling has yet to begin.
Kassinis said Noble - which is part of a consortium developing the Israeli fields - "is obliged to proceed" with the first exploratory well inside its Greek Cypriot block between October 2011 and October 2013.
The search for hydrocarbons in the east Mediterranean could raise tensions in the politically sensitive region.
Turkey last month slammed a maritime border accord between Greek Cyprus and Israel, saying it was "null and void" because it disregards the rights and jurisdiction of Turkish Cypriots on the ethnically split island.
Cyprus was divided into a Greek Cypriot south and a Turkish Cypriot north in 1974 when Turkey intervened in response to a coup by supporters of a union with Greece.
Talks aimed at reunifying the island have produced only limited progress since they began more than two years ago.
Turkey said countries in the region should not back moves "that would have a negative impact on the comprehensive settlement negotiations."
Greek Cypriot government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou rebuffed the criticism, saying the search for oil and gas is the island's sovereign right and no other country's business.
Greek Cyprus has maritime border agreements with Egypt and Lebanon, but the Lebanese parliament has yet to ratify the deal.
Energy Service Director Solon Kassinis said in an e-mail that the licensing round "is anticipated to be announced within the second half of 2011."
The island's 51,000-square-kilometer exploration area off its southern coast is divided into 13 blocks. Kassinis said two blocks on the easternmost edge of the exploration area that were left out of the first licensing round in 2007 will be included in the second one.
Greek Cyprus has licensed U.S. firm Noble Energy to explore an 800,000-acre block bordering Israeli waters where massive gas fields have been found under the seabed, including one thought to hold up to 16 trillion cubic feet of gas.
There are currently no estimates on gas reserves inside the Greek Cypriot zone because drilling has yet to begin.
Kassinis said Noble - which is part of a consortium developing the Israeli fields - "is obliged to proceed" with the first exploratory well inside its Greek Cypriot block between October 2011 and October 2013.
The search for hydrocarbons in the east Mediterranean could raise tensions in the politically sensitive region.
Turkey last month slammed a maritime border accord between Greek Cyprus and Israel, saying it was "null and void" because it disregards the rights and jurisdiction of Turkish Cypriots on the ethnically split island.
Cyprus was divided into a Greek Cypriot south and a Turkish Cypriot north in 1974 when Turkey intervened in response to a coup by supporters of a union with Greece.
Talks aimed at reunifying the island have produced only limited progress since they began more than two years ago.
Turkey said countries in the region should not back moves "that would have a negative impact on the comprehensive settlement negotiations."
Greek Cypriot government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou rebuffed the criticism, saying the search for oil and gas is the island's sovereign right and no other country's business.
Greek Cyprus has maritime border agreements with Egypt and Lebanon, but the Lebanese parliament has yet to ratify the deal.
No comments:
Post a Comment