Greece to expand area of hydrocarbon exploration south of Crete
Greek authorities are planning to expand the area of seismic surveys for hydrocarbon deposits off the coast of Crete, according to government sources, which said that a new navigational telex (Navtex) will be issued in the coming days with the new coordinates.
Under the new Navtex, the field of research by US energy giant ExxonMobil will extend further south off the coast of the Aegean island from the previous coordinates reserved on November 7.
The request to expand the area of research was submitted by ExxonMobil to Greece’s Hydrocarbons and Energy Resources Management Company (EDEYEP).
Seen as an indicator of the company’s interest, ExxonMobil is now seeking to conduct 2D seismic surveys across an area of 11,000 kilometers in the 2022-2023 winter period against an original target of 6,500 kilometers.
Sources also suggested that ExxonMobil and EDEYEP are looking for ways to accelerate the process so that they can have a clearer picture of any potential deposits and possibly begin exploratory drilling before 2025, as per the current timeline.
