ZAGREB, January 30, 2019 – The government decided on Wednesday to invite bids for licenses for oil and gas exploration and exploitation in the Dinaric Alps, with Environmental Protection and Energy Minister Tomislav Ćorić saying it was part of the government’s activities to boost Croatia’s energy autonomy.
Bids will be invited for four areas covering 12,134 square kilometres in total in Karlovac, Lika-Senj, Primorje-Gorski Kotar, Zadar, Split-Dalmatia and Šibenik-Knin counties. Exploration is to last five years. It excludes national parks and areas off the coast and the Bosnian border.
The tender will be advertised by the Croatian Hydrocarbon Agency and the bids will be assessed by a commission to be appointed by Ćorić. At his ministry’s proposal, the government will decide on the issue of an exploration and exploitation license for each of the four areas for a maximum 30 years.
The exploration in the Dinarides is aimed at reducing the fall in gas and oil production in Croatia, the government says.
Ćorić said the exploration would be conducted under the strictest ecological standards and in communication with local communities. Recently he said the exploration in the Dinarides would not harm tourism development.
More news on the oil and gas exploration in Croatia can be found in the Business section.
