Bulgaria is looking for gas and oil in a black Sea perimeter. An exploration contract has been awarded to Shell
Photo Drilling Marine Platform: Jody Amiet / AFP / Profimedia
The Shell company signed a contract with the Government of Bulgaria on Tuesday, which grants it exploration and oil exploration rights in a Black Sea perimeter, reports Reuters, taken over by News.ro.
The contract offers Shell Access to an area of 4,000 square kilometers in block 1-26 Han Tervel.
“Through this contract, we take an important step towards discovering the potential of the deep black sea for future gas deliveries,” said the Bulgarian Minister of Energy, Zecio Stankov.
Bulgaria, a member of the European Union, has been completely dependent on Russian gases by 2022 and is currently seeking to diversify their supply sources and identify more accessible options.
Bulgaria will double its ability to send gases to Romania from 2026
Last month, OMV Petrom and Newmed Energy signed a contract similar to the Bulgarian government to explore another perimeter off the Black Sea.
“Our first activity, and the most important thing, is to safely start the operations of purchasing 3D seismic data, necessary to obtain a clear picture of the basement and to evaluate the gas potential,” said Eugene Okpere, executive vice president for exploration, strategy and portfolio.
He added: “We believe that we can bring the best technologies and expertise to capitalize on the offshore potential in the Black Sea.”
