Cyprus will announce a second hydrocarbons licensing round
for oil and gas offshore in mid-February, its energy minister said on Tuesday.
The official announcement will be published in the European Union journal on
February 13. Up to twelve blocks in the eastern Mediterranean off southern
Cyprus will be included in the round, officials have previously said.
"We are maybe only eight days away from the official announcement of the
second round of licensing," energy minister Praxoulla Antoniadou told
parliament.
Cyprus reported its first natural gas discovery in December, when U.S. company
Noble Energy said it had discovered an estimated 5 to 8 trillion cubic feet in
block south of the island and close to where neighbouring Israel has reported
significant discoveries.