Israel extends deadline for bids in second gas license round to mid-July - PLATTS

07 Jun 2019 | 10:40 UTC Author: Stuart Elliott, Editor: Dan Lalor 

London — Israel has extended by a month to mid-July the deadline for bids in its second international gas licensing round due to the number of requests for documentation from interested parties.

The round is offering licenses for 19 blocks within five zones as Israel looks to move forward with upstream developments to help feed an offshore gas pipeline to southern Europe.

"Due to the number of requests received from companies that purchased the documents of the competitive process, they are allowed another month to prepare for submission," the energy ministry said.

The round was launched in November by energy minister Yuval Steinitz who said he hoped to attract new international energy companies to the country's already proven offshore.

Any company holding over 20% of an existing production license will not be able to participate in the current bid round following criticism of work offshore Israel to date, which has been dominated by a handful of companies, including the US's Noble Energy and Israeli explorers Delek and Ratio.

Each of the 19 blocks measure up to 400 square km and each zone, consisting of multiple blocks, is as large as 1,600 sq km.

The zones are located in the southern extent of Israel's economic waters, an area which has been previously licensed in part and had previous seismic research and limited exploration activity.

Italy opposes Poseidon gas pipeline landfall - REUTERS

MAY 7, 2019 / 7:37 PM

ROME, May 7 (Reuters) - Italy will not allow the Poseidon gas pipeline being developed by Italy’s Edison and Greece’s DEPA to make landfall as planned in southern Italy, the Prime Minister said on Tuesday.

The Poseidon pipeline, which has permits to run from Greece to the southern town of Otranto, is the final section of the EastMed pipeline that aims to bring gas reserves from the east Mediterranean to Italy.

TEKMOR Note: The Poseidon pipeline was planned as the last leg of the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) to transport gas from Azerbaijan via TANAP & TAP long before the idea of East Med Pipeline came into being!

“The government is certainly not interested at present in building the final tract of Poseidon as originally planned,” Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said at an event near Rome.

Two years ago DEPA and Edison signed a cooperation agreement with Russia’s Gazprom to set up joint efforts to create a southern route for gas into Europe.

The United States has been pressuring EU member states to find alternative natural gas supply sources not involving Russia.

Israel's Natural Gas Discoveries Are Bridging Political Divides And Are Forging Economic Ties - FORBES

Apr 18, 2019, 08:16am
Ken Silverstein

Even more natural gas has been found off Israel’s coastline, which may help shift the global energy paradigm. Greek oil and gas developer Energean has discovered what it says is between 28-42 billion cubic meters of natural gas, all on top of the 67 billion cubic meters that it has already located.

The discovery comes atop earlier ones a decade ago that are getting tapped and will be eventually distributed to former adversaries of Israel: Jordan and Egypt. And there are also plans to sell the natural gas to Turkey, Greece and Cyprus. Indeed, if Israel blossoms into a regional energy powerhouse, it could have profound implications for geopolitics — and possibly extend as far as East as Iraq.

How Greece Will Benefit from East Med Gas Pipeline - GREEK REPORTER

Jan 1, 2019
Philip Chrysopoulos

Greece will definitely benefit from the recent agreement with Israel and Cyprus for the construction of the East Med gas pipeline, according to a report in the German financial newspaper Handelsblatt.

The proposed pipeline will transport natural gas from the eastern Mediterranean to Europe. The cooperative agreement was recently signed by Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Cypriot President Nikos Anastasiades.

Talks between the three nations on the issue began in 2015 and have progressed to a solid alliance, according to Handelsblatt. The three Mediterranean countries aim to intensify their cooperation and make it permanent with the establishment of a joint secretariat based in Cyprus.

The newspaper notes that the enormous reserves of natural gas believed to be under the eastern Mediterranean seabed could contribute substantially to the energy supply of the whole of Western Europe.

EastMed gas pipeline increasingly doubtful - CYPRUS MAIL

December 2, 2018
Charles Ellinas

So far it has been easier finding gas in the region than exporting it. The story behind the much-vaunted EastMed pipeline explains why

The EastMed gas pipeline from Israel through Cyprus and Greece to Europe is back in the limelight.

It was reported on November 24 that the governments of Israel, Cyprus, Greece and Italy reached agreement on the construction of this pipeline based on the results of a feasibility study funded by the EU. However, government sources from Cyprus said that even though an inter-governmental agreement is in sight, a few weeks are still needed to complete the process and obtain approval by the European Commission (EC).

The project is being performed by Edison, an EDF Group company, and Greece’s Depa with about €35 million in funding from the EC, as a project of common interest (PCI). In a recent presentation Depa reported the capacity of the pipeline to be 10-16 billion cubic metres per year (bcm/yr). The project is currently designed to initially carry 10bcm/yr from the East Med to Greece, about 1900km, where it will connect to the Poseidon pipeline in Italy, about 300km.

Even though for the East Med region exporting 10bcm/yr gas is quite important, it is only about two per cent of annual European gas consumption. This should put into context exaggerated claims from the region that the EastMed pipeline will “to some extent minimise Arab influence on Europe!”

The EastMed pipeline so far has the support of the four governments and the EC, but no international oil company (IOC) or investor has yet expressed interest to join.

The four governments and the EU cannot fund the project. This requires IOC and investor participation, and above all it requires buyers for its gas.

New Players Enter The European Gas Game - OIL PRICE

Jun 10, 2018, 12:00 PM CDT
Vanand Meliksetian

The expansion of the European Union in 2004 and 2007 indirectly led to several crises at a level not seen since the oil embargo of 1973. The accession of several former Warschau pact countries introduced an extra dimension to European politics: Russia. Due to historical reasons some of these countries have a high dependency concerning hydrocarbons on their large eastern neighbour. Several serious disputes concerning supply, pricing, and debt between Moscow and Kiev from 2005 until 2009 led to disruptions in supply to EU member states. These conflicts highlighted the need for reduced dependency on Russia.

During this period the search for alternative sources was already on its way, but the shutdown of gas supplies as a consequence of these disputes accelerated the process. The completion of two LNG liquefication plants in Poland and Lithuania has decreased the dependency of this region on Russia. The south-eastern flank of the EU, however, is in a direr state. In order to alleviate dependency, the European Commission obstructed construction of the South Stream pipeline from Russia through the Black Sea to Bulgaria.

Energy minister: Russia retains option of laying Turkish Stream through Greece - TASS

October 23, 19:57 UTC+3

MOSCOW, October 23. /TASS/. Russia maintains the option of laying the second branch of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline through Greece, Russian Minister of Energy Alexander Novak told Anadolu news agency.

"Gazprom has signed road maps with the relevant ministries of Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary on the development of national gas transmission systems in accordance with the applications of Gazprom Export. But there is also a supply option in the direction of Greece, and further through the planned pipeline Poseidon to the Italian market," the minister said.

According to Novak, to date, construction of 370 km of the pipeline is completed. In the near future, a protocol on commencement of construction of the onshore transit part of the gas pipeline should be signed. Construction work is planned to be completed by 2019.

Kavala gas storage unit back on PCI list, FSRU in north ejected - ENERGY PRESS

6 July 2017

A plan to transform a depleted natural gas deposit in south Kavala, northern Greece, into an underground gas storage facility has been re-included on an unfinalized list of EU Projects of Common Interest (PCI), while the development of a new floating storage regasification unit (FSRU) in Alexandroupoli, northeastern Greece, to be developed by Gastrade, has been removed from the list.

Latest revisions to the list, still unfinalized, were made during a session on June 30. EU officials are expected to meet in mid-July to finalize the PCI list before it is endorsed by the European Commission.

Over the past few days, the Greek government has intensified efforts to also have the Alexandroupoli FSRU included on the PCI list, which would facilitate EU funding.

The EastMed Pipeline Could Be a Giant Step Towards Enhancing Regional Security - BESA CENTER

June 22, 2017
George N. Tzogopoulos
BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 505

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The EastMed pipeline, a proposed means of transporting gas from the eastern Mediterranean to new markets, would be expensive and difficult – but it is feasible. Easier and less expensive solutions are also being considered, but the security element works in EastMed’s favor. EastMed would allow Cyprus, Greece, and Israel to collaborate while developing their roles as hubs of stability in a turbulent neighborhood. The EU and the US would likely see improvement in Western energy dependence. And Israel would have the opportunity to improve its relationship with the EU, not only by participating in a project of European interest but also by finding new clients for its own gas in the European market.

Gazprom, DEPA, and Edison ink Cooperation Agreement on southern route for Russian gas supplies to Europe - GAZPROM

Kitsakos, Miller, Benayoun at signing ceremony

June 2, 2017, 15:00

Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Management Committee of Gazprom, Marc Benayoun, CEO of Edison and Executive Vice President of the EDF Group, and Theodoros Kitsakos, CEO of DEPA, today signed a Cooperation Agreement at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2017.

The signing ceremony took place in the presence of Carlo Calenda, Minister of Economic Development of Italy, and Giorgos Tsipras, Secretary General for International Economic Relations at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Turkey, Russia to jointly establish investment fund - DAILY SABAH / ANADOLU AGENCY

MOSCOW, 10.3.2017

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said a significant number of agreements have been prepared for the Turkey-Russia High-Level Cooperation Council (HLCC) meeting in Moscow today.

He revealed that the agreements, set to be signed at the meeting, will not just address the economy, but will also deal with technical and cultural fields.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) ahead of the HLCC meeting that will bring together President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Minister Novak highlighted that commercial and economic cooperation between Turkey and Russia has gradually recovered after a series of unfortunate events.

Greece says East Med gas pipeline to Europe feasible - NEW EUROPE

MARCH 7, 2017, 15:25
Kostis Geropoulos

Project plans to connect Levantine Basin with Cyprus, Greece

DELPHI, Greece – A pipeline planned to transport natural gas from the recently discovered fields in Eastern Mediterranean to Europe is feasible and viable, the CEO of Greece’s Public Gas Corporation has said.

“There has been a lot of speculation over the past years, people talking of ‘Pharaonic’ projects. I was personally a bit hesitant. Now, we have conclusion of the studies that this pipeline is technically feasible, economically viable and commercially competitive,” Theodoros Kitsakos said, referring to the Eastern Mediterranean Pipeline (East Med).

Addressing an energy panel on the third day of the Delphi Economic Forum on March 4, Kitsakos displayed slides for the first time in public showing the technical feasibility of the East Med pipeline. “From a technical background all steps are quite feasible. There is only one small piece of less than 10 kilometres just before the island of Crete where the depth is quite high,” he said. “But technology has advanced so we can cover this also so the whole route is guaranteed,” he said.

EastMed pipeline commercially viable - CYPRUS MAIL / CNA

January 25, 2017

EastMed pipeline is commercially viable and technically feasible, according to a study presented in Brussels to the EU Directorate-General for Energy and the director generals of the Ministries of Energy of Cyprus, Greece, Israel and Italy.

According to the study conducted by EDISON, the estimated cost of EastMed is 6 billion dollars.

Relevant sources told CNA that after the presentation of the study, there was a discussion between the delegations of the four countries with the European Commission, in order to prepare the meeting of the Energy Ministers of the four countries and the EU Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete, scheduled for next May in Israel.

Gazprom eyes TAP for Russian gas - NATURAL GAS WORLD

January 24th, 2017John Roberts, William Powell

Gazprom has declared for the first time that it may be interested in using the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline as a method of delivering Russian gas to Italy. Addressing the European Gas conference in Vienna January 24, Gazprom deputy chairman Alexander Medvedev (pictured below) said Russia has sufficient installed capacity upstream to deliver more than 100bn m³/yr of extra gas to Europe but that it faces an infrastructure problem.

He added: “In order to bring this gas to Europe we need additional infrastructure, which we are working on with our European partners – NordStream 2 and Turkish Stream. This capacity will not be sufficient to bring all this to Europe. So this is why we are talking to use available capacity on the Poseidon project that will be ready soon, or maybe TAP.”

Turkish Stream crosses choppy waters - NATURAL GAS WORLD

December 29th, 2016, 8:30am
John Roberts

In the second half of 2017, the world’s most modern pipe-laying barge will lay the first string of the Turkish Stream pipeline across the Black Sea from Russia to Turkey.

Despite all the vicissitudes of recent Russian-Turkish relations, including the assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov December 19, the two nations remain committed to laying at least one 15.75bn m³/yr pipe between Russia’s offloading terminal near Anapa and a landing site at Kiyikoy, on the Black Sea coast of Turkish Thrace.

But there is still a lot that remains uncertain. These mainly concern the question of a second string – in effect another 15.75bn m³/yr pipeline running roughly parallel to the first; the question of a connection to the Turkish-Greek border; the issue of who would be served by a second string; and the possibility of foreign partnership in the offshore component of the new system.

East Med: Opening new horizons for natural gas in SE Europe - NEW EUROPE

08:06 NOVEMBER 28, 2016, 08:06
Harry Aposporis

The effort to produce natural gas from the major deposits of Eastern Mediterranean is now well underway, as Eni continues to develop the Zohr field in Egypt, Noble Energy advances Aphrodite in Cyprus and the Leviathan partners in Israel seek potential buyers. At the same time, Cyprus proceeds with its third licensing round, with its result expected to be announced before the end of this year.

Obviously, a crucial issue for the future of Eastern Mediterranean gas is its marketing and the way it is going to be transferred to major markets, like Europe. One of the most promising available solutions is the East Med pipeline, proposed by DEPA, an ambitious, but completely feasible project, which is expected to provide stability and unlock the precious resources of that region in the near future.

Low gas prices clog pipeline projects, EastMed’s Leviathan - NEW EUROPE

NOVEMBER 4, 2016, 13:06
Kostis Geropoulos

ATHENS – Low gas prices have a limited effect on the planning of major pipeline projects, including plans to export gas from the East Mediterranean, DEPA CEO Theodoros Kitsakos said.

He was responding to a question from New Europe at a Russian-Greek forum in Athens on November 2 on whether low gas prices could affect the development of gas projects, including the EastMed pipeline.

“The decision whether the gas from the Levantine Basin will come to Europe via Cyprus and Turkey, which it is a political issue, or via EastMed from an offshore pipeline to Crete, Peloponnese and upwards, it does not have to do so much with the price of natural gas at Leviathan,” the head of the Public Gas Corporation of Greece said, adding that this is a long-term, strategic project.

Turkish Stream Project Will Help Greece Become Regional Energy Hub - SPUTNIK NEWS

13.10.2016, 12:07

Athens supports the Turkish Stream gas pipeline as it will enhance the energy security in the country and help Greece reach its aim of becoming a regional energy hub, a spokesperson for the Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy told Sputnik.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Monday, Russia and Turkey signed an intergovernmental agreement on the gas pipeline, which envisions the construction of two underwater legs in the Black Sea, with the annual capacity of 15.75 billion cubic meters each. The pipeline is expected to deliver gas from Russia to Turkey and continue to a hub on the Turkish-Greek border, from where the gas could be transferred to other European countries. 

Greece Pivotal to Plans for Natural Gas Pipeline - GREEK REPORTER / ANA-MPA

By Mary Harris
-Oct 3, 2016

A strategy by successive governments to turn Greece into an energy hub is moving into form with the promotion of a series of investment plans focusing on the country. The TAP (Trans Atlantic Pipeline), IGB (Greek-Bulgarian pipeline), East Med (Israel-Cyprus-Greece), South European Pipeline (transporting Russian natural gas) and IGI (Greece-Italy) projects, currently in different stages of maturity, are gradually changing the energy map of Greece, the Balkans and Europe.

The most advanced project, scheduled to begin operations in 2020, is the TAP pipeline. Environment and Energy Minister Panos Skourletis recently said that TAP will be the first section of a pipeline system, built from Azerbaijan to Italy, to be ready for operation. The TAP project (bringing together as shareholders Socar, Snam, BP, Fluxys, Enagas and Axpo) opens to the so-called South corridor of natural gas, a 4,000 km corridor with an estimated investment of more than 20 billion euros, of which 550 km passes through Greece with an estimated investment of 1.5 billion. Construction works began in May and transport capacity will be 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually — at an initial stage — with the prospect of doubling this capacity in the future.

Opinion: Erdogan, Putin and the touchy Turkish Stream - DW (Deutsche Welle)

The presidents of Russia and Turkey are expected to repair relations and revive a gas pipeline project at a meeting in St. Petersburg on Tuesday. There is, however, one key issue on the table, DW's Andrey Gurkov writes.

The revival of the Turkish Stream pipeline project is expected to be the concrete outcome of the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in St. Petersburg on Tuesday. The presidents will also recommit to the construction of Turkey's first nuclear power station, in Akkuyu, which is now severely behind schedule.

The main aim of this meeting, which was called at short notice, is to signal a thaw in relations between Russia and Turkey. In November 2015, there was a row over conflicting interests in Syria and the shooting down of a Russian bomber by Turkey's air force. Putin and Erdogan will now be anxious to show their nations, the world and especially the European Union that their quarrel is over. They intend to send a message to Brussels, Berlin, Paris and, of course, Washington: We can be friends without you - and even against you.