Zhecho Stankov

Azerbaijan with supply Bulgaria with gas that will be destined for the "Balkan Gas Hub", according to the Bulgarian Energy Ministry.

The decision was taken at the 4th intergovernmental committee in Baku, where 2020 was confirmed as a beginning.

A protocol that will pave the way for a study into gas deliveries options to third countries was also signed at the meeting.

Iranian and Bulgarian officials discussed opportunities for gas supplies from the Islamic Republic, at an intergovernmental meeting in Tehran on Wednesday.

Bulgaria's Deputy Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov made his Iranian counterpart, Houshand Fallahtian, familiar with the Balkan gas hub project the government is willing to launch at the Black Sea.

The Bulgarian Energy Holding company has invited potential lenders to extend a loan of up to EUR 650 M, BNR radio broadcaster reported on Monday.

People formerly employed in the mining industry and Roma people allegedly have been involved in illegal mining at the Mini Bobov Dol site, Presa Daily reported.

The current price of a coal bag is BGN 10 and can reach as high as BGN 15 over the winter months.

One more company has expressed an interested in the gas and oil exploration opportunity now opening along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast.

After Exxon Mobil stated that it will be very much interested in the tenders in Teres and Silistar Tuesday, now Anadarko has joined the club of possible investors.

Delyan Dobrev, head of the parliamentary energy committee, will present Monday in Houston opportunities for oil and gas drilling in Bulgaria's Black Sea exploration blocks to leading US and international companies.

Energy officials from three Balkan countries on Wednesday signed an agreement on the construction of a gas corridor that will interconnect their natural gas networks and will have a capacity of 3-5 billion cubic meters per year.

Bulgaria, which aims to reduce its almost total dependence on Russian gas supplies, will soon publish details of a licensing round to open the Silistar and Teres oil and gas blocks in the Black Sea, a senior government official has said.

Delyan Dobrev, head of Bulgaria's parliamentary energy committee, has presented an upcoming tendering procedure for two Black Sea exploration blocks to representatives of Norwegian oil and gas company Statoil.

Dobrev met Tuesday with Rune Bjørnson, Senior Vice President for Natural Gas in Statoil, and Tony Doré, Senior Advisor to Exploration Management at the company.