Offshore gas rig sets up in cash-strapped Lebanon
The arrival of the machinery marks a significant development for Lebanon, which hope gas exploration will revive its ailing economy.
BEIRUT — A drilling rig arrived in the Mediterranean Sea off Lebanon’s coast Wednesday morning to begin offshore oil and gas exploration later this month, Lebanese officials and French energy group TotalEnergies announced.
The Transocean Barents rig set up at Block 9, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) off the coast of Beirut. A helicopter contracted by TotalEnergies EP Block 9 and operated by Gulf Helicopters arrived at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport to transport the teams to the drilling rig.
“The arrival of the equipment marks an important step in the preparation of the drilling of the exploration well in Block 9, which will begin towards the end of August 2023,” TotalEnergies said in a press release.
Lebanese officials are pinning their hopes on drilling operations to help the cash-strapped country recover from a devastating economic crisis.
