The ship "Polar empres", which should begin 3D seismic recording of the Ulcinj seabed for the purpose of oil and gas exploitation, arrived in Bar last night, the director of the Port Authority, Safet Kočan, confirmed to Beta agency.
He said that the ship was anchored about a kilometer from the Port of Bar.
Research is planned on 1.200 square kilometers of the seabed in the quadrants for which the Italian-Russian consortium Eni and Novatek received a concession.
The Bar Harbor Master's Office will give the ship, which will be preparing for work in the next few days, free traffic so that it can carry out operations. The research is planned to last until December 21, but if the weather conditions deteriorate, the deadline may be extended.
The Maritime Safety Administration has started broadcasting warnings to seafarers, which will last until the end of the 3D recording.
Montenegro has so far concluded two concession contracts for the production of hydrocarbons in the sea near Ulcinj and Bar. The first contract was concluded on September 14, 2016, with the companies Eni Montenegro, BV Holland and Novatek Montenegro, and the second on March 15, 2017, with Energean Montenegro Limited from Cyprus.
Concluded concession contracts stipulate that the research phase lasts a total of seven years. The Directorate for Hydrocarbons emphasizes that the location of the exploratory well near Ulcinj will be determined depending on the data obtained from the research.
The Administration for Hydrocarbons announced that, when it comes to the revenues that Montenegro will have from the eventual exploitation of hydrocarbons from the sea, the state's share of those revenues is defined by law, and that it is estimated that, depending on the extent of exploitation, the state would receive between 62 and 68 percent of the total income.
Some non-governmental organizations called on the Government to immediately stop the research. They point out that a moratorium on oil and gas exploration should be introduced because, they claim, it is a high-risk project that brings serious devastating consequences for marine life, seismological risks to the health and life of citizens, and the development of tourism.
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