If you have heard Prime Minister Rama speak in solemn tones about the significant oil discoveries of the SHELL company in Albania, take the solemnity sparingly, as the reality turns out to be quite comical.
A correspondence of an international energy company read by Hashtag.al has revealed that the mayor of Tepelena Tërmet Peçi has granted exclusive rights for research and development of hydrocarbon operations in the Kurvelesi highlands.
Only the Prime Minister of the country and the Albanian government have this competence.

According to the announcement made by the Municipality of Tepelena in 2023, some strips of land have been leased to individuals and local businesses where the purpose according to the Municipality has been to use these territories for the purposes of hydrocarbon exploration operations or renewable energy.
All the territories in question are part of what is known as research block 4 and which was granted a concession by SHELL by decision of the Albanian government.
The contract in question for leasing the land was given to a company called "Albpower", while the representative of this company in correspondence with several international corporations writes that the company "Albpower" is entirely owned by Favina Grup, owned by businessman Viktor Qylafi.
The granting of rights for hydrocarbon operations by a mayor, moreover in a territory where this right has been granted to SHELL, constitutes perhaps the most spectacular act of state tyranny and brutal mockery of what Prime Minister Edi Rama calls "the chance of gold for Albania", when commenting on the activity of the SHELL company. / Hashtag.al