Skip to main content

Qatar's energy giant cements Lebanon deal, substituting Russia

The Qatari firm officially took over the stake previously held by a Russian company.

ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images
(L to R) CEO of Italian multinational oil and gas company ENI Claudio Descalzi, Qatar's Minister of State for Energy Affairs and President and CEO of QatarEnergy Saad Sherida al-Kaabi, Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Lebanon's caretaker Energy Minister Walid Fayad and Chairman and CEO of Total Energies Patrick Pouyanne attend a signing ceremony for offshore gas exploration in the capital Beirut on Jan. 29, 2023. — ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images

QatarEnergy formally agreed Sunday to take a stake in Lebanon’s offshore energy exploration blocks, substituting Russia's Novatek in a deal that US envoy Amos Hochstein helped broker. 

The deal was signed in Beirut with France’s TotalEnergies and Italy’s Eni. QatarEnergy took a 30% stake in Blocks 4 and 9 in Lebanon’s Mediterranean Sea territory, while TotalEnergies and Eni will now each have a 35% stake, according to a press release. 

Subscribe for unlimited access

All news, events, memos, reports, and analysis, and access all 10 of our newsletters. Learn more

$14 monthly or $100 annually ($8.33/month)
OR

Continue reading this article for free

All news, events, memos, reports, and analysis, and access all 10 of our newsletters. Learn more.

By signing up, you agree to Al-Monitor’s Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. Already have an account? Log in