Greece has awarded concessions to Hellenic
Petroleum (ELPE) and Energean Oil & Gas for onshore gas exploration
and exploitation in three fields in the west of the country, the Energy
Ministry in Athens said on Thursday.
Hellenic Petroleum, Greece’s biggest oil refiner, won two of the
concessions and the country’s sole oil producer Energean Oil & Gas
was awarded one, the ministry said in a statement.
Greece, which clinched a third bailout with its international
creditors in August, has made several fruitless attempts over the last
50 years to find big oil and gas reserves.
Its debt crisis has prompted the country to step up those efforts.
The companies submitted bids for the blocks last year.
Hellenic Petroleum – in a venture with Italy’s Edison and Ireland’s
Petroceltic – and Energean Oil were the winners of drilling licenses for
three onshore and offshore blocks in western Greece awarded in 2014.
[Reuters/ekathimerini]