Greece signed the concession agreements with three energy consortia for hydrocarbon explorations in three different areas of western and northern country, the land area of Ioannina, the Gulf of Patras, at the western exit of the Gulf of Corinth and Katakolo in northwestern Peloponnese, east of Zakynthos Island. The signing ceremony took place on Wednesday at the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change and was attended by Government Vice-President and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos, Environment Minister Yiannis Maniatis and Deputy Minister Asimakis Papageorgiou, Britain’s Energy Minister Edward Davey and Canada’s ambassador Robert Peck. The investment can exceed 700 million euros for surveys and the extraction/productions of deposits is estimated at 300 million barrels.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras did not attend the event due to unplanned obligations.