Croatia has appeared as a potential new source of energy on the global market after recent seismic surveys indicated great oil and gas potential below the seabed in the Croatian part of the Adriatic.
"It is very important for countries to know that they have their own oil and gas resources in order to exploit them and we in Shell are always looking for those opportunities to help countries," Benschop said, underlining that "it is a very important strategic decision for a country like Croatia to do this exploration work" and to start on-shore and off-shore drilling so as to assess "what those resources are and how they can be developed", which he finds important for the future of the country.
"We have an interest, as always, to look into the opportunity, and how exactly it will develop," the Shell executive said in London.
The European Gas Summit, organised by Financial Times, brought together leading and aspiring gas suppliers from around the globe, as well as energy industry experts, commentators and government decision makers to review the potential barriers to new gas supplies for Europe, and the impact on the region's economic competitiveness.
One of the participants is Croatia's President Ivo Josipovic, who pointed out the potential of the next round of concession bidding for Adriatic Sea exploration and concerning the construction of an LNG terminal on the Croatian island of Krk.
Josipovic said that judging from the experience from the Italian part of the Adriatic and available information, there will be gas resources and Croatia should make use of it.
As for the LNG terminal, the president described it as a project that would ensure supply for Croatia and be a gateway for central and east Europe-bound energy deliveries.
Josipovic said that Croatia already had the necessary infrastructure and that this project, which was now at its initial state, was seen as a priority by Croatia and the European Union.