US energy giant Chevron has expressed interest in joining burgeoning hydrocarbon exploration efforts off the western coast of Greece, the energy minister said Wednesday.
“Chevron expressed a request to us, the request has been accepted,” Theodoros Skylakakis, who is also minister for the environment, told Skai TV.
The ministry has said Chevron is interested in drilling for gas in the Ionian Sea, from southwest of the Peloponnese peninsula to west of Crete. A relevant international tender is upcoming, it said.
“The tender and the environmental study will be completed this week,” Skylakakis said.
Skylakakis said Greece had increased the size of the area offered to hydrocarbon exploration by 25 percent, and would consider a further expansion.
Ecology groups have noted that the areas earmarked for hydrocarbon exploration in the Ionian are near a planned marine park.
The ministry this week 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.
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