(ANSA-AFP) - ATHENS, MAR 26 - Greece's environment ministry
on Wednesday said it had accepted additional interest from US
energy giant Chevron to join hydrocarbon exploration efforts
south of the island of Crete. "The Greek government has accepted
the expression of interest" for exploration areas south of the
island of Crete, the ministry said in a statement. In January,
the ministry had said Chevron was also interested in drilling
for gas in the Ionian Sea, from southwest of the Peloponnese
peninsula to west of Crete. The company wants to oversee
exploration in an area of around 46,000 square kilometres
(17,760 square miles), the ministry said. Fellow US giant
ExxonMobil has similarly expressed interest in an area of 35,655
square kilometres, it said. A relevant international tender is
upcoming, the ministry said. The environment ministry in January
said Greece had increased the size of the area offered to
hydrocarbon exploration by 25 percent. (ANSA-AFP).
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