Fresh seismic data to be available from late 2023
The first solid data from seismic research conducted in the Ionian Sea and the sea region west-southwest of Crete will be available by the end of 2023 and this data will be the basis on which a decision on whether to carry out exploratory drilling will be made, hydrocarbon industry sources said on Monday.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event organized by the Hellenic Hydrocarbons and Energy Resources Management Company (HEREMA) to present a “white book” on CO2 storage, the same sources said that Energean was expected to begin its first exploratory drilling in Ioannina.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, speaking from Crete, said that the New Democracy government put on track for the first time fundamental seismic surveys southwest of Crete and that the data from the surveys was now being examined by the company to find out with certainty if there are hydrocarbons or natural gas in the region.
He added that if the answer was affirmative, procedures will quickly start in order to have the first natural gas drillings in 2026. HEREMA is monitoring the process of interpreting the data from the seismic surveys and adherence to timetables set for hydrocarbon exploration.
In Ioannina, the first drilling at Giourganista is officially scheduled for this year, but since the environmental license is still pending, a more realistic target is for drilling to begin in 2024. Energean owns 100% of research and exploration rights in the region.
