| Stephane Michel, a senior executive with French energy company Total arrives at the presidential palace for talks with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, in Nicosia, Cyprus, Tuesday, June 19, 2018. Total is looking to expand its search for oil and gas off the coast of Cyprus and are looking to partner up with Italian energy firm Eni. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) |
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Cyprus says French energy company Total is seeking to broaden the scope of its work in an ongoing search for hydrocarbons off the east Mediterranean island nation.
Energy Minister Minister Yiorgos Lakkotrypis says Total is looking to expand its activities in Cypriot waters “in a variety of ways.”
He didn’t specify what those ways could be because talks are still in progress. Lakkotrypis was speaking Tuesday after senior Total executive Stephane Michel met with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades.
Anastasiades said talks with Michel focused on ways to meet the common goal of “exploiting as many energy-producing sources as possible.”
In April, Michel said Total had applied to carry out exploratory drilling in an area south of Cyprus where Italian company Eni is already licensed to search for gas.
