TIRANA, July 5, 2022 — Massive amounts of oil and gas have been discovered in Albania by Shell, the country’s prime minister said Tuesday, calling it a turning point for the country’s future.
Rama told a meeting with Dutch business representatives operating in Albania that the Dutch multinational company, Shell, which had been exploring for new sources of oil and gas, had made the discovery.
Rama did not go into the specifics of the find saying details would be shared “soon” but added it would have an impact on European energy security as a whole.
“They are reluctant to talk about numbers at the moment. The signs show that we may be close to a very important discovery of gas and oil underground, which will affect the future of our country, but will also play a role in the energy future of Europe,” Rama said.
Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku said they were looking forward to the official announcement, emphasizing it will be great news.
“Shell has been working in Albania for a long time and we are eagerly awaiting the result of the exploration, which will be a great discovery,” she said, adding she can’t go into details at this time. “Albania will produce significant amounts of gas and oil, divided into 40 percent gas and 60 percent oil.”
