Lebanon initiates oil and gas exploration in Block 9

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
16 Aug 2023 12:00

Minister of Public Works and Transport in Lebanon Ali Hamieh declares that the oil and gas exploration vessel has arrived at the drilling site in Block No. 9 to start drilling operations.

Minister of Public Works and Transport in Lebanon Ali Hamieh during an on-site inspection of an oil and gas exploration ship at Block 9. (Sputnik)

Minister of Public Works and Transport in Lebanon Ali Hamieh announced publicly the arrival of an oil and gas exploration ship at Block 9, marking the initiation of drilling operations.

In a tweet, Hamieh wrote, "The oil and gas exploration ship in Block 9 has reached its designated drilling location," providing this information without delving further into specifics.

In a prior interview with Sputnik, Walid Fayad, Lebanon's Minister of Energy and Water in the caretaker government, revealed that the drilling ship for oil and gas exploration is expected to conclude its drilling and exploration activities within approximately 90 days of commencing operations.

The vessel named "Janus 2," operated by Total Energies in collaboration with Eni and Qatar Petroleum, has successfully finished the environmental survey process within Block 9 of Lebanese waters, as per media reports.

After fulfilling its designated task, the ship arrived at the port of Beirut, undergoing on-site inspection by Minister of Energy and Water Walid Fayad, Minister of Environment Nasser Yassin, Minister of Public Works and Transportation Ali Hamieh, Director-General of the Port of Beirut Omar Ayatani, and representatives from the Petroleum Sector Management Authority. This event also included the participation of officials from various Lebanese departments.

It is noteworthy that TotalEnergies reached a deal with the Lebanese government on the gas field. The initial exploration license for Block number 9 was held by a consortium of TotalEnergies, Italy's Eni, and Russia's Novatek, even though the latter exited the group due to the war in Ukraine.

Through indirect negotiations with the Israeli occupation, the UN, the United States, and Lebanon concluded a maritime demarcation deal in late October.