Gazprom as welcome as any other oil company, Croatia Prime Minister says

Croatia’s Prime Minister Zoran Milanović has said that Russian oil and gas giant Gazprom is as welcome to explore for oil and gas deposits offshore Croatia as any other oil company.

Asked whether the message would provoke criticism of the West, he said that Croatia would not be drawn into the bickering between Washington and Moscow, adding that he does not perceive companies as Russian or American, but as the parties willing to work in Croatia.

“If Gazprom wants to search for gas in Croatian waters,” the prime minister said, “we welcome them as we welcome Shell, Exxon and all the other big companies.”

Milanović said that Gazprom is, as any other company, invited to bid and eventually work in Croatia.

Croatia in April opened the first public tender for the granting of licenses for the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons in the Adriatic Sea. The area consists of 29 exploration Blocks.

According to the Croatian media, around twenty oil companies have expressed interest in being part of the first licensing round in Croatia. According to Slobodna Dalmacija, Exxon Mobil, Total, Marathon Oil and Eni have already signed preliminary agreements to acquire the Adriatic sea seismic imagery from Spectrum.