Greek Minister of Environment and Energy, Stavros Papastavrou, is set to visit the headquarters of oil giants Chevron and ExxonMobil in Houston, Texas, on May 8 and 9. His visit aims to discuss ongoing hydrocarbon exploration projects in Greece.
The international tender for four offshore blocks in the Ionian Sea and off the coast of Crete was recently published in the Government Gazette and is scheduled to be posted in the Official Journal of the European Union. The four blocks include “South of Peloponnese,” “South Crete I,” “South Crete II,” for which Chevron has expressed interest, and “A2,” sought by HELLENiQ ENERGY.
During his U.S. visit, Papastavrou plans to brief Chevron executives on the tender and request a timeline for seismic surveys. On May 8, the Greek delegation will visit Chevron’s facilities to meet with Clay Neff, President of International Exploration and Production, and Liz Schwarze, Vice President of Global Exploration.
The following day, Friday, May 9, Papastavrou will travel to ExxonMobil’s headquarters to meet with John Ardill, the company’s Vice President of Global Exploration. Their discussions will center around ExxonMobil’s plans and prospects in Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean, alongside global energy transition challenges.
According to sources, the Greek delegation is expected to seek updates from ExxonMobil regarding the timeline for the investment decision for the first exploratory drilling at the “Southwest Crete” offshore block. Notably, the American multinational also holds exploration and exploitation rights for the “West of Crete” concession.
Sources indicate the Greek Energy Minister aims to use the swift issuance of three ministerial decisions and the launch of a single international tender for the four offshore blocks to secure Chevron’s commitment to upcoming seismic surveys.
On May 9, Papastavrou will also visit Cheniere Energy, the leading producer of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the United States to reportedly explore potential interest in expanding LNG sales in the European Union through Greece.
The Greek government is attributing geopolitical significance to Papastavrou’s visit, aiming to capitalize on Chevron and ExxonMobil’s activities to strengthen the strategic alliance with the United States.
To that end, on Saturday, May 10, Papastavrou is scheduled to meet with Randy Weber, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and Vice Chairman of the Energy Subcommittee.
