In an article published on 27th October, this column had emphasized the Cypriot government's stance against Chevron's new proposition. The American energy conglomerate proposed to eliminate the use of a Floating Production Unit (FPU) for the Aphrodite field, hinting that this might result in less natural gas extraction and thereby potential financial losses for Cyprus. While this concern holds water from a governmental perspective, it's imperative to realize that this might just be the tip of the iceberg.

Beyond the economic ramifications, there's a more pressing concern. Technocrats from the Hydrocarbons Service in the Ministry of Energy, the Hydrocarbons Company, and the Beicip Franlab are greatly alarmed. They foresee a looming challenge – the permanent linkage of the Aphrodite field with Egypt's natural gas reception infrastructure, especially if Chevron's requested methodology is accepted. In layman's terms, if Chevron's desires are met, the entirety (or whatever can be extracted without a production unit) of the Aphrodite field's yield would be obligated to Egypt.