Athens and Sofia sign new energy agreements

Athens and Sofia on Thursday entered into an energy alliance to diversify energy supply sources, after talks initiated by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The two countries are signing agreements today concerning, among other things, the storage of natural gas and the construction of a new oil pipeline.

Share:

Comprehensive energy news coverage, updated nonstop

Annual subscription

8.25€/month*

*billed annually at 99€/year for the first year then 149,00€/year ​

Unlimited access • Archives included • Professional invoice

OTHER ACCESS OPTIONS

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2€/month*
then 14.90€ per month thereafter

FREE ACCOUNT

3 articles offered per month

FREE

*Prices are excluding VAT, which may vary depending on your location or professional status

Since 2021: 35,000 articles • 150+ analyses per week

On Friday, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced that Greece and Bulgaria have signed two new energy agreements. The agreements cover the possibility of natural gas storage and the construction of a pipeline between the two nations to reduce their dependence on Russian energy.

 

Natural gas storage

Greek companies will now be able to store gas in the Bulgarian facilities of Chiren, while Bulgarian companies will be able to use Revithoussa in Greece. The agreement between the relevant ministries of the countries involved seeks to facilitate and secure the supply and storage of gas.

Oil pipeline linking Greece and Bulgaria

The second agreement relates to a proposed project to build a pipeline linking the ports of Alexandroupolis in Greece and Burgas in Bulgaria. This project would provide the Bulgarian country with faster and cheaper means of transporting fuel via tankers.

Geopolitical context

According to Kyriakos Mitsotakis, “the geopolitical situation” motivates the obvious interest of both partners to ensure a certain autonomy from Russian fuel, diversify the sources and routes of energy supply in the region. The Bulgarian President Rumen Radev also welcomed the existing “energy links” between the two countries that change “the energy map” of Europe while ensuring regional stability during the war in Ukraine.

The United States has called on Japan to stop importing Russian gas, amid rising tensions over conflicting economic interests between allies in response to the indirect financing of the war in Ukraine.
Australian group Santos lowers its annual production forecast after an unplanned shutdown at the Barossa project and delayed recovery in the Cooper Basin.
VoltaGrid partners with Oracle to deploy modular gas-powered infrastructure designed to stabilise energy use in artificial intelligence data centres while creating hundreds of jobs in Texas.
GTT, Bloom Energy and Ponant Explorations Group launch a joint project to integrate LNG-powered fuel cells and a CO₂ capture system on a cruise ship scheduled for 2030.
Storengy has launched its 2025/2026 campaign to sell gas storage capacity over four years, targeting the commercialisation of nearly 100 TWh by 2030, with over 27 TWh available starting in 2026-27.
The US government has withdrawn its proposal to suspend liquefied natural gas export licences for failure to comply with maritime requirements, while maintaining a phased implementation schedule.
Soaring electricity demand in Batam, driven by new data centres, leads INNIO and MPower Daya Energia to secure 80 MW and launch a five-year maintenance programme.
Tamboran has completed a three-well drilling campaign in the Beetaloo Sub-basin, with 12,000 metres of horizontal sections prepared for stimulation and maintenance ahead of the commercial phase.
Valeura Energy partners with Transatlantic Petroleum to restart gas exploration in the Thrace basin, with testing and drilling planned this quarter in deep formations.
Calpine Corporation has finalised a public funding agreement to accelerate the construction of a peaking power plant in Freestone County, strengthening Texas’s grid response capacity during peak demand periods.
Naftogaz urges the European Union to use Ukraine’s gas storage capacity as part of a strategic reserve system, while calling for the end of storage filling obligations after 2027.
Spanish gas infrastructure operator Enagás is in advanced talks to acquire the 32% stake held by Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC in Terega, valued at around €600mn ($633mn), according to sources familiar with the matter.
BP has awarded Valaris a $140mn drilling contract for a Mediterranean offshore campaign aimed at reinforcing Egypt’s declining gas output since 2021.
Egypt’s petroleum ministry will launch 480 exploration wells by 2030 with investments exceeding $5.7bn, aiming to revive production and reduce reliance on imports.
Faced with declining domestic consumption, Japanese liquefied natural gas (LNG) importers are ramping up commercial optimisation strategies and favouring shorter contracts to protect profitability.
European inventories curbed price declines as liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply expands and demand stays weak. Cargo arbitrage favours Europe, but winter will determine the equilibrium level. —
Sonatrach and Midad Energy North Africa signed a production-sharing hydrocarbon contract in the Illizi South perimeter, involving a total investment estimated at $5.4bn for exploration and exploitation of the site.
Kuwait Petroleum Corporation annonce une découverte majeure dans la zone offshore avec le champ de Jazah, soutenant les efforts publics d’investissement dans les infrastructures énergétiques nationales.
Rockpoint Gas Storage finalised its initial public offering in Canada with an upsized offer of 32 million shares for gross proceeds of C$704mn ($512mn), marking a new step in Brookfield’s partial divestment strategy.
Africa Energy postpones submission of its environmental impact assessment for Block 11B/12B following a recent court ruling affecting offshore exploration authorisations in South Africa.

All the latest energy news, all the time

Annual subscription

8.25€/month*

*billed annually at 99€/year for the first year then 149,00€/year ​

Unlimited access - Archives included - Pro invoice

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2€/month*
then 14.90€ per month thereafter

*Prices shown are exclusive of VAT, which may vary according to your location or professional status.

Since 2021: 30,000 articles - +150 analyses/week.