Energean Oil & Gas, whose offshore Prinos oil field in the country’s north has been heavily impacted by the coronavirus pandemic’s effects on the global economy, including record-low oil prices, intends to utilize relief measures offered by the Greek government for various sectors, including the upstream industry.

The government’s relief measures, introduced to help enterprises weather the financial impact of the unprecedented coronavirus crisis, promise respite in a variety of forms, including tax payment delays, VAT discounts as well as employee allowances covering suspended work contracts.

Energean, which has invested tens of millions of euros to keep upstream  activities alive in Greece, now needs to reduce its Prinos operating costs and keep production flowing. A disruption of production and resumption at a latter date is not technically feasible. Prinos is Greece’s only producing oil field.

The oil price plunge has made big impact on the Prinos field, an old high-cost venture whose production costs are estimated at 21.5 dollars per barrel.

This specific field produces heavy crude of higher refining demands. Subsequently, Energean sells the unit’s output to BP at price levels that are between 7 and 8 dollars lower per barrel compared to Brent prices.

Production at Prinos is declining. Output peaked at 4,000 barrels per day in 2018 but fell to 3,300 in 2019 and is projected to slide further in 2020, officials noted.

Energean has cut back on investments at Prinos by 80 million dollars.

International crude prices plunged from 66 dollars to less than 25 dollars per barrel in the first quarter. Prices have not fallen so low since 2003.