A third gas corridor: prospects for the East Med
Harris Samaras, Chairman
& Group CEO of Pytheas, talks to Leigh Elston, Editor & Senior
Reporter of Interfax, about the possibility, and importance, of the
Eastern Mediterranean hydrocarbons to Europe and more (14 September
2012).
Dimitris Manolis, the Interconnector
Turkey-Greece-Italy’s (ITGI’s) director of international activities,
this week raised the possibility of bringing East Mediterranean gas to
the European market via the ITGI pipeline as early as 2018. Harris
Samaras, the chairman and group chief executive of Pytheas, an
international investment banking organisation, spoke to Interfax about the benefits of, and technical and commercial challenges to, building ‘the East Med’ pipeline.
Interfax: Would a pipeline running from the East Mediterranean, as suggested by Dimitris Manolis, be feasible?
Harris Samaras: The
construction of this ‘East Med Pipeline’, which would connect Israel,
Cyprus and Greece to Italy and the rest of Europe, is feasible but it
will be costly, and can only be justly assessed when further exploration
is concluded and additional gas deposits are confirmed. If, however,
the scientifically estimated deposits are proven to exist, it is
undoubtedly the best long-term option and solution, not only for the
countries involved, but for the EU as well. It is a solution which will
liberate the EU from its energy dependence on volatile or [sometimes]
‘hostile’ countries – as both the source and the transportation means
will be owned and controlled by EU-member countries alone. Needless to
mention, it would strengthen Europe’s negotiating tools in the markets.
more see: http://www.defencegreece.com/index.php/2012/10/a-third-gas-corridor-prospects-for-the-east-med/
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