Cyprus Foreign Ministry has said the interest exhibited by significant oil companies for licensing in Cyprus` EEZ is the best answer to Turkish claims, describing them as unfounded. The Foreign Ministry made after a statement on Tuesday by the Spokesman of the Turkish Foreign Ministry regarding Cyprus` Exclusive Economic Zone third licensing round for hydrocarbon…
Hydrocarbon Developments in the Eastern Mediterranean
BY CHARLES ELLINAS, WITH JOHN ROBERTS AND HARRY TZIMITRAS Read the Publication (PDF) “The Eastern Mediterranean’s hydrocarbon discoveries have massive consequences for the region, even though when considered on a global scale they are relatively small,” writes David Koranyi in the foreword to the Atlantic Council report, Hydrocarbon Developments in the Eastern Mediterranean. This report…
Turkey warns foreign firms over interest in Block 6
Turkey’s foreign affairs ministry on Tuesday warned energy companies that expressed interest during the third hydrocarbons licencing round in Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) for block 6 that any exploratory activity is unauthorised as part of the block lies within the Turkish continental shelf. According to an article published in Milliyet, the Turkish foreign ministry’s…
Tatar calls on Akinci to conduct “serious struggle” towards Greek Cypriots
Turkish Cypriot daily Gunes newspaper (02.08.16) reports that Ersin Tatar, “deputy” with the National Unity Party (UBP) called on the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci to conduct a “serious struggle” towards the Greek Cypriots. Tatar who issued a written statement said that Akinci should do so “serious as regards the various steps taken by the…
Aphrodite’s Cyprus problem By @FionaMullenCY
By Fiona Mullen While everyone is getting excited about the big-name bidders in the third Cyprus offshore gas licensing round, it is worth remembering the excitement that first greeted the discovery by Noble Energy in late 2011 of the Aphrodite field in offshore Block 12. Wild figures were thrown out by people who should know…
Russian role in Cyprus a media fantasy
For decades the media and some political parties have insisted Russia has a genuine interest in Cyprus. Nothing is further from the truth, as Russia’s lack of interest in our latest gas licensing round made clear By Demetris Papadopoulos THE NAMES of the companies that submitted an expression of interest in the third oil and…
Myths and reality
Myths… The word was out last Wednesday that oil majors such as ExxonMobil and Qatar Petroleum, along with Total and ENI, had made bids to drill for gas in new prospective plots of Cyprus’ EEZ. This occured even before the Energy Minister could announce it. Delighted officials were briefing that with Exxon being present in…
Drilling bonanza
By Annie Charalambous Next year will be a crucial energy year for Cyprus with a record number of drills within its exclusive economic zone by oil and gas giants. And a pleasant headache for the government now is the decision on who gets which plot and what the main criterion should be in the third…
Wishfull thinking
Formulating policy on wishful thinking or on sketchy analysis of particular situations is probably the most serious weakness of Cyprus’ political system. The trend was evident on Monday, the first day RoC President Nicos Anastasiades and his aides returned from Israel. The initial statements and mainly the background briefing to journalists let people believe that…
Can Natural Gas Put Cyprus Back Together Again? By @KFJ_FP
As Cyprus ramps up its own energy exploration, and hopes prevail of an Israel-Turkey pipeline, there is growing optimism that natural gas will help finally unify the divided island. By Keith Johnson The emerging energy boom in the eastern Mediterranean could be just what’s needed to finally reunify Cyprus after the island has spent more…