Lebanon to US: Help settle gas dispute with Israel

Lebanon’s parliament speaker called on the US to continue its efforts to resolve a dispute with Israel over exploiting natural gas reserves under the Mediterranean, Lebanese press reported Thursday.

Nabih Berri made the request during a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry, who paid a surprise visit to Lebanon Wednesday.

Berri told Kerry he hoped the US would mediate between Lebanon and Israel in a balanced and fair manner, according to the Lebanese As-Safir newspaper.

Berri stressed that the US would benefit from such a move, as it may later become “a partner in oil exploitation in Lebanon,” the report added.

Both Lebanon and Israel claim a small maritime area of about 530 square miles (1,400 square kilometers) that is thought to contain rich offshore gas and oil fields. The field, known as Block 9, is nearly 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from Lebanon’s territorial waters and Israel claims it as part of its exclusive economic zone.

According to a US Geological Survey in 2010, the field may contain up to 123 trillion cubic feet of gas and 1.7 billion barrels of oil.

Lebanon, a resource-poor nation, is relying on the drilling site to provide the government with means to pay off its mounting high debts.

Over the past year, Washington has stepped up its efforts to resolve the dispute, but the gaps between the Israeli and Lebanese positions still remain wide.

Earlier this year, Lebanese Energy Minister Gebran Bassil announced that his country planned to conduct its first ever oil exploration drilling within the next few months.

However, the Lebanese government postponed to mid-August an offshore gas auction originally scheduled for April due to technical and financial difficulties, the Lebanese Daily Star reported.

The US has asked Lebanese officials to hold off on drilling in disputed waters until a final deal on borders was reached.

The Mediterranean sea has become a new frontier of energy exploration with foreign investment lured in to prospect via deep-water drilling.

The Leviathan natural gas field, which is located about 80 miles off Israel’s coastline and was discovered by an Israeli drilling company, contains 17 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Its detection in 2010 was one of the world’s biggest offshore discoveries in a decade.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.