Cyprus gives Chevron another 6 months to come up with a timetable on a natural gas field development

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — The Cyprus government has given Chevron another six months to come up with a revised plan to develop a sizeable natural gas deposit off the island nation’s southern coastline after an earlier plan proposed by the U.S. energy company lacked a timetable, an official said Thursday.

Chevron’s development proposal from March 29 for the Aphrodite deposit estimated to hold 4.2 trillion cubic feet of gas “wasn’t considered targeted and was without specific timetables,” the official with knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss details of the deal.

In a reply letter last Thursday, Cypriot Energy Minister George Papanastasiou asked Chevron for “specific, targeted actions” and a “specific timetable” that would confirm its commitment to developing the gas field.

In January this year, the Cypriot government and Chevron reached a “mutually beneficial” agreement on how to develop the gas field, ending long stalled negotiations on plans to extract the hydrocarbon since its discovery in 2011.

At the time, the Cypriot energy ministry said Chevron affirmed that both sides are in “alignment” regarding the “wider framework of the field’s exploitation.”

Chevron had wanted to send the gas to Egypt through a pipeline, but Cyprus preferred to process it on a floating production facility because it would be more economically beneficial for the island nation and would lend more flexibility to supplying other markets.

On Tuesday, Claudio Descalzi, chief executive officer of the Italian energy company Eni discussed with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides ways to expedite development of gas fields that Eni discovered in waters off Cyprus’ southern coast.

A statement said the two men reviewed discoveries that Eni and its partner TotalEnergies of France made in 2022, confirming “the encouraging outcomes of the previous wells.”

Eni, which has had a presence in Cyprus since 2013, operates five offshore areas – or blocks – and has participating interest in another two.

FILE - An offshore drilling rig is seen in the waters off Cyprus' coastal city of Limassol, on July 5, 2020 as a sailboat sails in the foreground. The Cyprus government has given U.S. energy company Chevron another six months to come up with a revised plan to develop a sizeable natural gas deposit off the island nation's southern coastline after an earlier plan was deemed to lack a specific timetable, an official said Thursday, May 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias, File)

HOUSTON (AP) — Fast-moving thunderstorms pummeled southeastern Texas on Thursday for the second time this month, killing at least four people, blowing out windows in high-rise buildings, downing trees and knocking out power to nearly 900,000 homes and businesses in the Houston area.

Officials urged residents to keep off roads, as many were impassable and traffic lights were expected to be out for much of the night.

“Stay at home tonight, do not go to work tomorrow, unless you’re an essential worker. Stay home, take care of your children,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire said in an evening briefing. “Our first responders will be working around the clock.”

The mayor said four people died. At least two of the deaths were caused by falling trees, and another happened when a crane blew over in strong winds, officials said.

Streets were flooded, and trees and power lines were down across the region. Whitmire said wind speeds reached 100 mph (160 kph), “with some twisters.”

Hundreds of windows were shattered at downtown hotels and office buildings, with glass littering the streets below, and the state was sending Department of Public Safety officers to secure the area.

“Downtown is a mess,” Whitmite said.

There was a backlog of 911 calls that first responders were working through, he added.

The storm system moved through swiftly, but flood watches and warnings remained for Houston and areas to the east.

Flights were briefly grounded at Houston's two major airports. Sustained winds topping 60 mph (96 kph) were recorded at Bush Intercontinental Airport.

More than 870,000 customers were without electricity in and around Harris County, which contains Houston, according to poweroutage.us. The county is home to more than 4.7 million people.

The damage extended to the city's suburbs, with emergency officials in neighboring Montgomery County describing the damage to transmission lines as “catastrophic” and warning that power could be impacted for several days.

The Houston Independent School District canceled classes Friday for all its 274 campuses.

Heavy storms slammed the region during the first week of May, leading to numerous high-water rescues, including some from the rooftops of flooded homes.

Transmission power lines are down near the Grand Parkway and West Road after a storm Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Cypress, Texas. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Transmission power lines are down near the Grand Parkway and West Road after a storm Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Cypress, Texas. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via AP)