A French-Italian-Qatari energy consortium began offshore exploration in Lebanon on Tuesday in another sign of progress in the crisis-stricken country’s gas plans.
TotalEnergies, Eni and QatarEnergy launched their exploration activities in Lebanon’s Block 9, located in the eastern Mediterranean about 120 kilometers (75 miles) from Beirut. Prime Minister Najib Mikati, parliament speaker Nabih Berri and other officials visited the consortium’s rig to mark the start of the exploration, Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported.
The actual drilling will begin “in a few days,” TotalEnergies’ general manager in Lebanon, Romain de La Martiniere, told the agency.
Background: TotalEnergies, Eni and Russia’s Novatek signed a gas exploration deal with Lebanon in 2018. The group ceased operations in Block 4 in 2020 after failing to find sufficient gas. Exploration in Block 9 was repeatedly delayed due to Lebanon’s maritime border disagreement with Israel.
