On Christmas Eve, as originally planned, the drilling rig of the joint venture ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Cyprus (Offshore) Limited and Qatar Petroleum International Upstream LLC started drilling. It started drilling (despite the threats from Turkey) in block 10 of the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus. Thus, the Americans and the Qataris in full cooperation with the Cypriot government got the job done for the confirmation drilling in “Glafkos-2”. It is considered crucial by experts in the next two months as the result of the confirmation drilling will determine the future of the energy program of the Republic of Cyprus. The results of the drilling are expected to be known by March.
The Cypriot Ministry of Energy has officially announced the start of drilling. According to the announcement of the Ministry of Energy, the works of the “Glaucus-2” rating drilling have started in Block 10 of the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus. The announcement also states that “the drilling works, carried out by the ship – drilling rig “Stena Forth,” will be monitored on a continuous basis by the staff of the Hydrocarbon Service, the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry”.
The Minister of Energy, Natasa Pileidou, had stated in her announcements that the results of the confirmation drilling in the “Glafkos” field by the Exxon Mobil – Qatar Petroleum consortium should not be expected before February or March 2022, stressing that the drilling will proceed and any Turkish challenges will be met through diplomacy.
Regarding the “Glafkos” deposit in block 10, in which the exploratory drilling showed an initial amount of natural gas between 5 and 8 trillion cubic feet (tcf), Ms. Pileidou said that “certainly we do not expect results in terms of quantities before February to March 2022,” adding that the process will take two to three months.
Regarding the plans for the development of the deposit, Ms. Pileidou said that “certainly depending on the quantity there are various scenarios on the table, which will be examined”, with the scenario to a terminal in Egypt being considered the most prevalent, based on the quantities that have been identified to date and which are expected based on the initial estimates “.
In addition, according to information from Nicosia and the ENI / TOTAL consortium is expected to proceed with research activities in the first half of 2022, while at the beginning of next year suggestions are expected from the licensees of “Aphrodite” for possible synergies with Israel or Egypt in relation with the development of the deposit.
At the same time, the occupying pseudo-state in Cyprus sent a letter to the UN complaining about the violation of its “national airspace” by Greek planes. That is, a non-existent “state” is protesting against the violation of a non-existent airspace. The letter of the Turkish Cypriots to the UN was handed over by the Turkish representative (since the Turkish Cypriots who were not recognized have no official representative) and all this at a time when Ankara not only systematically violates the airspace of the Republic of Cyprus, but gives orders to the Turkish F-16s to form the… crescent in the sky of the free areas
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