Page 5 - EurOil Week 33

EurOil COMMENTARY EurOil

being developed in the region among some of to date have been announced.
its neighbours. A significant recent example The Oruc Reis seismic vessel’s recent
is the plan for developing Cyprus’ Aphrodite manoeuvres, meanwhile, came within a week
discovery, into which Chevron will be enter- of Greece and Egypt signing a deal to create an
ing through its acquisition of Noble. Under the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in waters that
development plan submitted to the Cypriot contain oil and gas reserves. This, however, con-
government, a subsea pipeline would carry flicts with a rival EEZ that Turkey and Libya have
gas from Aphrodite to a liquefaction facility sought to establish.
in Egypt. From there, Eastern Mediterranean After Turkey sent the Oruc Reis ship into
gas could be exported as LNG to Europe and waters south of the Greek island of Kastellorizo,
beyond, bypassing Turkey. France stepped into the dispute, demanding that
Turkey stop its “unilateral” oil and gas explora-
Exploration push tion in contested waters.
Under these circumstances, Turkey has become This was followed by French President
increasingly bold in its attempts to share in the Emmanuel Macron deciding to bolster his coun-
Eastern Mediterranean’s hydrocarbon bonanza. try’s military presence in the Eastern Mediter-
Last year, it was already saying it would continue ranean, which Paris described as a temporary
drilling for gas in contested waters off Cyprus move allowing France to better monitor the
if the Cypriot government did not accept a situation in the region. The enhanced French
co-operation proposal put forward by Northern presence will include two Rafale warplanes that
Cyprus. will be based on the Greek island of Crete and
Last year, Turkey sent the Yavuz and Fatih two ships. Under current
drillships into these contested waters off Cyprus. The news of French involvement has not
Now, it is once again bringing at least one of its prompted Ankara to back down. plans, the Oruc
drillships – and perhaps more – into play in the “No foreign nation, company or ship will be Reis will continue
region. allowed without permission into our maritime
This week, Turkish state news agency Anato- areas,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan its work in the
lia reported that TPAO had sent a telex via the said on August 13 in comments that appear to
Navigational Telex system, Navtex, stating that be directed at France. “We see provocations by contested waters
Yavuz and three support vessels would be oper- a country that has no coastline in the east Medi-
ating in the Eastern Mediterranean south-west terranean pushing Greece and the Greek Cypriot until August 23.
of Cyprus between August 18 and September 15. administration to take wrong steps.”
The company added that it was “strongly recom- Under current plans, the Oruc Reis will
mended not to enter the working area”. continue its work in the contested waters until
Also this week, Turkish newspaper Daily August 23. However, Turkey looks increasingly
Sabah reported that the country’s third drillship, isolated in its regional push. Greece and Cyprus
Kanuni, would soon set sail to join Fatih and have called for EU sanctions against Turkey, but
Yavuz in the Eastern Mediterranean. However, have failed to secure the support of other mem-
vessel-tracking websites showed that Fatih was ber countries on this. Nonetheless, pressure on
still in the Black Sea, where it had been drilling Turkey from EU countries – and potentially
the Tuna-1 prospect since mid-July, as of August from those in the Middle East and North Africa
18. with claims to Eastern Mediterranean waters –
No results drilled by TPAO in the region appears likely to intensify.™

Week 33 20•August•2020 www. NEWSBASE .com P5