Lebanon starts drilling first offshore oil and gas exploration well

Beirut hopes deepwater project, launched with French company near Israel’s maritime border, will strike it big, boost crumbling economy

Lebanon's Energy Minister Cesar Abi Khalil, explains an offshore drilling map on disputed waters with Israe, Feb. 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Lebanon's Energy Minister Cesar Abi Khalil, explains an offshore drilling map on disputed waters with Israe, Feb. 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

BEIRUT, Lebanon — A drillship anchored off Lebanon Tuesday to explore for oil and gas, an energy firm and the government said, raising hopes for a future boost to the country’s crumbling economy.

Information Minister Manal Abdel Samad said the country’s first such exploration would start within 48 hours.

The Tungsten Explorer was to start drilling in its first exploration well situated some 30 kilometers (16 nautical miles) offshore from Beirut, French oil firm Total said.

“Total is pleased to start exploration operations on block 4, which is the first deepwater exploration well in Lebanon,” Total’s Lebanon chief Ricardo Darre said.

Anticipation has been high in Lebanon for exploration to start, with many hoping a major hydrocarbon discovery could help redress the debt-burdened economy.

Energy Minister Raymond Ghajar said on Twitter the ship had anchored in block 4.

Total said the drilling would last two months, and start at 1.5 kilometers (0.9 miles) below sea level.

“The exploration well aims at exploring targets located more than 2,500 meters below the sea bed,” it said.

A consortium composed of energy giants Total, Eni and Novatek was awarded two of Lebanon’s 10 exploration blocks in 2018 — block 4 and block 9 near the Israeli border.

Israel’s offshore Leviathan gas platform. (Albatross)

Drilling was initially supposed to start in December for block 4.

Exploration of block 9 had been scheduled for several months later, but has been far more controversial as Israel claims it belongs to the Jewish state.

Total has said it was aware of a border dispute affecting less than eight percent of block 9, and would drill away from that area.

Lebanon is one of the most indebted countries in the world, with a burden equivalent to 150 percent of its GDP.

It is in the grips of a severe liquidity crunch that has hampered imports, sparked price hikes and caused the value of the Lebanon pound to plummet on the parallel exchange market.

Most Popular
read more: