The tender for the concession of 20 blocks for
hydrocarbon exploration in the Ionian Sea and south of Crete will
continue regardless of recommendations by certain companies to postpone
it due to low oil rates and the political uncertainty in Greece.
Energy Ministry sources have told Kathimerini that there are no plans
to postpone the tender that ends on July 14, and they estimate that any
such development less than a month before the deadline for the
submission of binding bids would be seen as "problematic.”
Ministry officials who have been supervising the process since its
start and are in contact with the oil market acknowledge the
difficulties as regards the current low global oil rates, which
considerably raises the business risk in terms of regions with great sea
depths, such as the Ionian, but say that a postponement would not
really change anything as market forecasts speak of oil rates staying at
around $60 per barrel.
"Those who are about to come, will come,” a ministry source said,
adding that at this point even one offer from a major company would
constitute a satisfactory result for the tender.
(ekathimerini.com)