Just three days after a US jury in Louisiana ordered Chevron to pay $745 million in damages for water pollution near New Orleans, the US oil giant has been given the green light by the Greek government to explore for hydrocarbons off the coast of Crete. On Sunday, 7 April, Greece’s Minister for the Environment and Energy, Stavros Papastavrou, signed a ministerial order approving Chevron’s request for hydrocarbon exploration and drilling rights in two maritime zones off southern Crete.
The announcement came just three days after the high-profile legal decision in the US. On Friday, 4 April, a Louisiana jury found Chevron liable for environmental damage in the Plaquemines Parish, a marshy area southeast of New Orleans. The pollution, which dates back to operations by Texaco (acquired by Chevron in 2001), led to the permanent submersion of land and widespread ecological degradation.
Local authorities accused Texaco of failing to comply with a 1978 state law requiring companies to clean up and restore exploration and production sites to their original condition: “exploration and production sites shall be cleared, revegetated, detoxified, and otherwise restored as near as practicable to their original condition upon termination of operations to the maximum extent practicable.”
Chevron was found responsible for violating this law and for abandoning equipment, allowing pollution to worsen over time.
The jury awarded $575 million for land loss now submerged under water, $161 million for environmental damage, and $9 million for abandoned infrastructure. According to Barron’s, Chevron’s lead attorney, Mike Phillips, said the company “will appeal this verdict to address the numerous legal errors that led to this unjust result.”
Greek government moves ahead with Crete exploration plan
Despite the controversy in the US, the Greek Ministry for the Environment has pressed ahead with its energy strategy. The government says it aims to bolster energy security and attract investment. It also claims the Chevron deal reflects a commitment to making Greece “energy-secure, attractive to investors, and geopolitically strong”.
Further ministerial decisions are expected soon, detailing the exact coordinates of the exploration zones and launching an international tender process. The decision follows positive recommendations from the Hellenic Hydrocarbon and Energy Resources Management Company (HEREMA).
Greek opposition party New Left reacts
In response to the move, Alexis Charitsis, head of the New Left party, condemned the government’s decision, accusing it of aligning with the fossil fuel lobby at the expense of future generations.
“The climate crisis isn’t going to wait. And neither can we,” he said. “While the US under Trump pushes for more fossil fuels and far-right leaders across Europe rally against climate policies, the Greek government is choosing its side—by inviting Chevron, a symbol of the outdated, polluting model, to drill off the coast of Crete and the Peloponnese.”
Charitsis also highlighted recent environmental disasters in Greece, from floods in Thessaly to water shortages and widespread destruction of farmland and forests, arguing that the country cannot afford further environmental risks.
The New Left announced it will table a draft bill proposing a total ban on hydrocarbon exploration and extraction in both land and marine areas of Greece.
“We call on all progressive political forces to take a stand,” the statement concluded. “Do we stand with the fossil fuel lobby, or with the right of future generations to a sustainable planet?”
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