Cyprus energy program resumes with an appraisal drilling in Block 10

The Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry announced the start of assessment drilling in block 10 of the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus (EEZ).

In a press release issued Tuesday, the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry announced that assessment work had begun on the Glafkos-2 drilling rig in Blocks 10 of the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus, by the joint venture ExxonMobil and Qatar Energy which holds a Hydrocarbon Exploration License for the Block.

It is noted that the drilling works, carried out by the drill-ship "Stena Forth", will be monitored on a continuous basis by the staff of the Cyprus Hydrocarbon Company and the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry.

In a post on Twitter on Wednesday, Minister of Energy Natasa Pilides said that with the assessment drilling at Glafkos-2, the drilling program resumes in the EEZ. This is the first drilling in Cyprus EEZ after the onset of the pandemic.

"With the Glafkos-2 assessment drilling, the program resumes in the EEZ of the Republic of Cyprus. Together with our licensees, we have worked to ensure the safety of their activities in the midst of a pandemic," the Minister said in her post.

The post is accompanied by a video from the start of the drilling, for which the Minister thanked the companies operating in Block 10, ExxonMobil and Qatar Energy.

In February 2019, the companies announced a discovery following the drilling of the Glafkos-1 well, with an estimated 5-8 trillion cubic feet (Tcf), of natural gas.