An East Med gas renaissance
After years of inertia, the prospects for the region's gas finally moving towards markets are improving
Sometimes even a seasoned oilman has to take a deep breath and adopt the tone and demeanour of a diplomat. This was the case recently with Luca Bertelli, head of exploration at Eni. Addressing Gulf Publishing's Eastern Mediterranean Gas Conference in Nicosia, Cyprus in March, he cautioned about over-optimism in forecasting when gas exports might begin. He said "the area is geopolitically complex". You can say that again. If Bertelli and Eni didn't know it before, they certainly knew it in February when their company found itself eyeball-to-eyeball with geopolitics. Eni's drillship was prevented by the Turkish navy from reaching the target site in Cyprus' offshore Block 3. Turkey argues that
Also in this section
2 April 2026
Alongside a rapid continued build-out of renewables, China’s latest five-year plan stresses the value of domestic hydrocarbon production for energy security and calls for increased Russian gas imports
2 April 2026
The government is taking important steps to revive domestic production, lift investment and benefit from the geopolitical crisis even if more needs to be done in the longer term
1 April 2026
Golden Pass’s startup offers QatarEnergy a timely boost but may also force a difficult choice between honouring disrupted contracts and capitalising on soaring spot LNG prices
1 April 2026
It is not a case of if or when, but the length and magnitude of economic damage from elevated oil prices
