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EU energy ministers to mull domestic gas drilling amid security concer

EuroNews · · 710 words · By Marta Pacheco
open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/05/12/eu-energy-ministers-to-mull-domest…

fact_checkFact-Check Results

12 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

check_circle Corroborated 3
help Insufficient Evidence 3
info Single Source 2
schedule Pending 2
verified Verified By Reference 1
verified Verified 1
verified
“European Union energy ministers are expected to discuss domestic natural gas drilling during an informal meeting in Cyprus on 13 May”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence contains general information about the EU and Cyprus, but no specific mention of an informal meeting of energy ministers on May 13 to discuss domestic drilling.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Cyprus became a full member of the European Union in 2004. Despite being a divided country, the entire island is EU territory. Turkish Cypriots are eligible for EU citizenship, however EU law is suspe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyprus_and_the_European_Union
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Cyprus is one of four European Union (EU) member states which is not a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), along with Austria, Ireland and Malta, and the only EU member not to par…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyprus–NATO_relations
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Northern Cyprus, officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), is a de facto state comprising the northern third of the island of Cyprus. It is recognised only by Turkey, with the interna…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Cyprus
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
“Natural gas prices have remained elevated, standing at roughly double those in the United States and China”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provided for this claim consists of general Wikipedia and overview pages about the EU and does not contain specific price comparisons between EU, US, and Chinese natural gas.
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web search NEUTRAL — Its cornerstone, the Customs Union, paved the way to establishing an internal single market based on standardised legal framework and legislation that applies in all member states in those matters, an…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union
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web search NEUTRAL — Find out how many EU Member States there are, how big the EU economy is, how people live in the EU, and other useful facts about the EU. Discover what the EU does for citizens, how it protects rights,…
https://european-union.europa.eu/index_en
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web search NEUTRAL — Sep 24, 2025 · Many of the current member countries use the euro as their common currency. The European Union (EU) is an economic and political alliance of 27 countries, promoting democratic values an…
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/europeanunion.asp
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“Russia’s withdrawal from the European market in 2022”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm the disruption of Russian gas flows to Europe in 2022, specifically mentioning the cessation of the Poland portion of the Yamal-Europe pipeline in 2022 and the general shift away from Russian gas due to the war.
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web search NEUTRAL — The Yamal–Europe natural gas pipeline is a 4,107-kilometre-long pipeline connecting Russian natural gas fields in the Yamal Peninsula and Western Siberia with Poland and Germany, through Belarus. The …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamal–Europe_pipeline
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web search NEUTRAL — Some European politicians argue that this is the price that must be paid to maintain Europe’s values in the face of Russian hostility. But the bottom line is that a complete embargo on Russian gas thi…
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/12/opinion/russia-europe-ene…
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web search NEUTRAL — On August 22 the exchange-traded market price for natural gas in the German THE (Trading Hub Europe) gas hub was trading more than 1000% higher than a year ago. Most citizens are told by the Scholz re…
https://www.globalresearch.ca/europe-energy-armageddon-from-…
info
“the bloc’s success in cutting its reliance on Russian gas from 45% to 12% since the start of the war in Ukraine”
SINGLE SOURCE
While multiple sources confirm the EU is reducing reliance on Russian gas, the specific figures (45% to 12%) are not explicitly corroborated across multiple sources in the provided text; one source mentions 34% in 2021, which contradicts the '45%' starting point.
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web search NEUTRAL — The European Union vowed to end energy relations with Russia after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.The EU's reliance on Russian gas, oil and nuclear fuel poses "risks to our…
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c04547pr9vqo
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web search NEUTRAL — When the war began, European leaders were forced to reckon with a long-established dependence on both Russian gas and oil. Gas was a particular problem, as in 2021, 34% of the EU's gas came from Russi…
https://www.dw.com/en/war-in-ukraine-why-is-the-eu-still-buy…
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web search NEUTRAL — Moving away from Russian gas. Over the last few years, the European Union has tangibly reduced its dependence on Russian fossil fuels, following Russia's unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine…
https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/infographics/where-does-t…
verified
“Higher energy prices have already added an estimated €24 billion to EU import costs”
VERIFIED
CNN Business explicitly reports that the bloc has spent an additional €24 billion on energy imports since the start of the war due to higher prices.
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web search NEUTRAL — The Commission report on energy prices and costs takes stock of the latest trends for gas, electricity and oil prices, as well as other energy costs in Europe and internationally.
https://energy.ec.europa.eu/data-and-analysis/energy-prices-…
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web search NEUTRAL — The bloc has spent an additional €24 billion ($28 billion) on energy imports since the start of the war due to higher prices - or more than $587 million a day - "without receiving a single ...
https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/22/business/europe-energy-crisis…
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web search NEUTRAL — The cost of gas-fired power across Europe has increased by more than 50% due to the gas price spike since February 28. This rise adds twice as much to electricity costs as the cost of carbon due to th…
https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/latest-energy-shock…
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“Romania, for instance, has been extracting gas from the Black Sea since March 2025”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
The claim states extraction began in March 2025. However, evidence from Euractiv states Romania 'will start extracting gas from Black Sea in 2026', and Romania Insider mentions it 'may start... as early as next year' (relative to the article date), contradicting the claim that it has already happened as of March 2025.
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web search NEUTRAL — TurkStream is a natural gas pipeline running from Russia to Turkey. It starts from Russkaya compressor station near Anapa in Russia's Krasnodar Region, crossing the Black Sea to the receiving terminal…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TurkStream
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web search NEUTRAL — Romania could become almost energy independent when Romgaz and OMV Petrom extract the first barrels of natural gas from the Black Sea, according to energy minister Virgil Popescu.
https://www.euractiv.com/section/eet/news/romania-will-start…
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web search NEUTRAL — Black Sea Oil and Gas may start to extract gas from the Black Sea as early as next year, after investing some USD 200 million in the Midia and Pelican perimeters. The company, which is owned by US inv…
https://www.romania-insider.com/black-sea-projects-gas-produ…
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“Since April, Greece has launched its first offshore exploratory drilling campaign for natural gas in almost four decades, targeting potentially significant reserves in the Ionian Sea”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (ExxonMobil/Energean reports, LinkedIn, and news summaries) confirm Greece is launching its first offshore exploratory drilling in the Ionian Sea in nearly 40 years.
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web search NEUTRAL — According to Greece’s energy ministry, the agreement will initiate exploration activities in Block 2, located offshore in western Greece. The project marks a historic milestone, as it will be the coun…
https://greekcitytimes.com/2026/04/15/greece-offshore-gas-dr…
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web search NEUTRAL — ExxonMobil is on track to begin exploratory drilling in the Ionian Sea in the first quarter of 2027, Greek energy officials said Tuesday, marking the country's first offshore hydrocarbon exploration i…
https://www.iefimerida.gr/english/exxonmobil-drill-ionian-se…
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web search NEUTRAL — Greece is set to undertake its first deepwater offshore drilling operation after Energean awarded a contract to Stena Drilling for an exploration campaign in the Ionian Sea.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/the-greek-herald_greece-to-dr…
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“Operations [in Greece] are expected to begin in early 2027”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources state that exploratory drilling is expected to begin in late 2026 or early 2027.
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web search NEUTRAL — The venture, estimated to require between $50 million and $100 million, aims to begin exploratory drilling by late 2026 or early 2027, with potential production in the early 2030s. According to Exxon’…
https://greekherald.com.au/news/greece-and-exxonmobil-sign-h…
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web search NEUTRAL — Operating under Petroleum Exploration Licence 85 in Namibia’s Orange Basin alongside Azule Energy and Namcor, Rhino Resources targets a final investment decision by late 2026 or early 2027, with first…
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/upstream-the-international-oi…
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web search NEUTRAL — Exploratory drilling there is expected in late 2026 or early 2027. According to Block 2 partner Helleniq, that drilling operation will be the first exploratory offshore drilling in Greece since 1981, …
https://jpt.spe.org/chevron-led-consortium-snags-four-blocks…
help
“Italy is also considering reviving offshore oil and gas exploration projects suspended in 2019”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided for this claim.
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“Croatia recently announced a US-backed agreement to expand gas pipelines and energy infrastructure across the Balkans”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided for this claim.
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“Cyprus holds the region’s largest untapped reserves, with geological assessments indicating around 324.1 billion cubic metres of gas”
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“Climate Action Network Europe urged ministers to adopt a binding annual target to reduce gas demand by 7%”
PENDING
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.