"It is likely that in 2025 we will see the first exploratory drilling, most likely in the area of Crete, which will give us an initial picture of potential hydrocarbon deposits. We are at a critical point in time; we are waiting for the final investment decisions of the companies." This was stated by Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy Alexandra Sdoukou, speaking at the Athens Energy Summit, describing the interest of the American companies Chevron and ExxonMobil, which are active in the exploration sector in the country, as strategically important.

In relation to reports of a change in energy policy after Trump's election, Ms. Sdoukou said that there is no differentiation in the stance of the Greek government, which has always said that natural gas is needed as a bridge fuel to carbonization and as a factor in containing the cost of the energy transition.

The director of the Greece office of the TAP pipeline, Yannis Maris, said that from 2026, the pipeline's transport capacity, currently 10 billion cubic meters per year, will be increased by an additional 1.2 billion cubic meters. At the same time, a new market test is underway, repeated every two years, for possible further expansion. The pipeline, which transports natural gas from Azerbaijan via Turkey and Greece to Europe via Turkey and Greece, has been in operation since 2020 and covers 18% of Greek gas exports, while from 2022 it will supply Bulgaria—through the interconnection of the Greek-Bulgarian pipeline—with 800 million cubic meters per year.

The Director of Development and Strategy of DESFA, Michalis Thomadakis, also said that discussions are underway with the respective operators on the northern border in order to develop the necessary infrastructure for the transport of natural gas through Greece to the North and West and to North Africa for cooperation in the transport and storage of carbon dioxide.