Recent Exploration Activities in the Northern Mediterranean Sector

Piotr W. Gawenda¹ and Helena Dobrova^2
1IHS Energy/Petroconsultants, Perly - Geneva, Switzerland
²IHS Energy, Geneva, Switzerland

A range of E & P-related activities aiming at unlocking new resources in the European sector of the Mediterranean Sea (Portugal, Spain, Malta, Albania, Greece and Cyprus) was recorded in recent years. In Portugal, awards of several offshore blocks offered during 2002 tender are still pending. Mohave Oil & Gas is the sole active company. Rightholding activity in Spain has been busy, with E & P operations at low levels. In 2005, Repsol carried out three 3D campaigns and drilled one unsuccessful onshore well. BG's only offshore well was dry. Ascent and Nueglas are planning one well each in early 2007. Activities in Albania are affected by the withdrawal of Occidental and a partial withdrawal of the OMV-led group due to unsuccessful drilling results. Yet, several smaller firms (MedOil, DWM Petroleum, Gas Plus, Land Tech and Sherwood) are negotiating both exploration and development contracts. All the prospective acreage offshore Malta is covered by ESAs. MedOil is seeking partners for Blocks 2&3 (Area 3), while TGS Nopec is farming out Area 2 and Area 7. In late 2006, RWE Dea with Global Petroleum recorded seismic in Blocks 4&5 (Area 3). The long-awaited tender in Greece is on hold. The country's E & P activities, held at a very low level, are carried out mainly by Kavala Oil. In Cyprus, PGS in cooperation with the authorities prepared the country's first offshore licensing round. The areas on offer are to be chosen from twelve blocks totaling some 70,000 sq km.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90072 © 2007 AAPG and AAPG European Region Conference, Athens, Greece