Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced that Exxon Mobil will begin seismic surveys in two blocks southwest of the Peloponnese peninsula as well as the island of Crete in the coming days.
Given its position and investments in associated infrastructure, Greece, an entrance point for natural gas in the eastern Mediterranean, hopes to develop into a producer of gas as well as a center for the storage and transfer of gas to the rest of Europe.
“Our country, regardless of its focus on a fast green transition, is obliged to explore if it has the potential to mine natural gas, which will contribute to our country’s energy security and Europe’s,” Mitsotakis stated.
“ExxonMobil will start these surveys in the next few days,” the prime minister stated in an interview with Ant1 TV.
ExxonMobil and HelleniQ Energy, the largest oil refiner in Greece, reached an agreement in July to acquire TotalEnergies’ portion of two contracts for oil and gas exploration off the coast of Crete, following the latter’s withdrawal.
The operator, ExxonMobil, holds 70% of the rights to search for hydrocarbons off the coast of Crete. The rest is held by HelleniQ Energy.
