The Turkish propaganda in the USA, against drilling in Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone appears to have failed for the time being at least. According to Turkish Press, the US State Department announced that the plans for Cyprus hydrocarbon exploitation are within the framework of providing energy which the US supports in all countries. Moreover the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Frank Ricciardone said in response to a question about whether Washington would urge Noble Energy to stop natural gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean that he is not going to give advice to American companies and also reiterated that the US continues to support Cyprus reunification efforts.

Noble Energy’s Chief Operations Officer Dave Stover, in an interview in magazine Upstream, said that they are examining potential sites in Cyprus and Israel to build a 5 billion dollar worth Liquefied Natural Gas factory. The location will depend on the findings of the exploratory drilling that will start this October in Block 12 which belongs to Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone. Mr Stover also said that Cyprus is a potential opportunity of becoming a hub for exporting natural gas.