Bassil: Invitation for Offshore Gas Tenders within 3 Months
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Lebanon aims to invite tenders to explore for offshore gas within three months, the energy minister said on Sunday, downplaying the risk of conflict with Israel despite a dispute over the maritime border.
"Our target is to begin within three months," Energy Minister Jebran Bassil told Agence France Presse.
"We now have everything required for an oil company to have enough information to begin its activities, and we are on the right track to start offshore drilling."
Bassil said Lebanon hoped to have exploration contracts with international oil companies signed and sealed by the end of the year.
He said European, U.S., Chinese and Russian firms had already shown serious interest in drilling off Lebanon's coast.
"Every big oil company has begun initial talks to explore offshore drilling and bought data to that end," he said.
Bassil played down the risk of conflict with Israel over the potential reserves, despite a longstanding dispute over the maritime boundary between the two neighbors, which remain technically in a state of war.
"We are working on making potential drilling a factor of stability, not a factor of conflict or instability," Bassil said.
"I believe that Israel has no interest in threatening our oil resources," he added.
"It has resources itself -- it's a balance of power, and Lebanon now has enough power to protect its own resources."
The cabinet endorsed plans to implement legislation on Wednesday that will clear the way for offshore oil and gas exploration.
In August, parliament passed a law setting Lebanon's maritime boundary and Exclusive Economic Zone.
Lebanon has also submitted to the United Nations a maritime map that conflicts significantly with one proposed by Israel.
Lebanon argues its map is in line with an armistice accord drawn up in 1949, an agreement which is not contested by Israel.
The disputed zone consists of about 854 square kilometers (330 square miles), and suspected energy reserves there could generate billions of dollars.
Lebanon has been slow to exploit its maritime resources compared with other eastern Mediterranean countries. Israel, Cyprus and Turkey are all much more advanced in drilling for oil and gas.
The government has warned that Lebanon will not give up its maritime rights and accuses Israel of violating its waters, territory and air space.
08 January 2012, 14:53
00
good news indeed
so since in few years the money will be 100% lebanese, allegance of our leaders will follow hopefully to be 100% lebanese
08 January 2012, 15:17
01
"A thief think everyone is a thief"
I have great respect for the work Jebran Bassil and his collegues have done on this issue, and hopefully the Lebanese people can benefit from discoveries soon. But no one should think that this is a easy way to prosperity for Lebanon.
08 January 2012, 21:24
10
Let me guess.....Bassil the traitor will back the Iranian contracts.
Luckily when ASSad falls, so will the traitorous M8 regime and all contracts will be re-negotiated.
08 January 2012, 21:37
00
the filthy zionist information war department is unhappy on very idea that we will use our own oil
09 January 2012, 00:54
00
Demon odor, how desperate and ridiculous your ideas are. Assad is falling. His army is cracking. But default Bassil the retarded FPM and its backstabbing traitorous thieving leaders "party" will collapse along with it.
This means the inevitable collapse of the traitorus M8 gang. Jumblatt is as far removed from M8 at this point since the short tenure of the M8's reign of terror, I mean time in power.
Keep dreaming sweating fool. The old days are over already. The only thing left is the playing out of the end chapter in Syria. After that Lebanon will be free from that enemy. Syria and the Hezz have always been the bigger enemy of Lebanon because they exist inside the border, like a cancer inside the body.
You keep dreaming of the old days, I am planning the party for the fall of ASSad and the new future. I will send you an invitation. Look for the biggest fireworks display to light your way there.
09 January 2012, 01:07
00
the filthy zionist information war department have long term halucination about getting hands on lebanese oil and gas.
these long term halucination include the fall of assad regime, total change in lebanon in their favor and than somehow they can steal what's ours.
09 January 2012, 02:58
00
This kid is clueless either by choice or by nature. You need to do seismic mapping before you do any drilling offshore to determine the size and location of the find before you do any drilling and before any respectable company commits resources to drill and before you make a financial analysis as to the return on this investment. A platform like the Israelis have deployed in the same depth of water costs around $50M to $75M to fabricate and deploy. But more importantly, the subsea pipeline to carry the oil or gas to shore will cost as much, the infrastructure on shore to handle and liquify the gas will cost even more. This is not 3 months like this kid is led to believe. He is like a pool salesman interested in the 1st from his handlers to grab as much cash as possible for him and his senile father-in-law. Sad ver sad
09 January 2012, 09:31
00
the filthy zionist information expert war department have long range and medium range hulicinations about controlling our oil and gas. Morevor they think they are expert at gas and oil. Yes, they are expert at "releasing" gas ONLY.
09 January 2012, 10:21
00
Re Arz10452
Seismic surveys/mapping has been conducted long time ago by both a french company and Norwegian PGS as part of the help after the 2006 war. Regarding drilling rigs thats the responsibility of the oil company that wins the tender. >There are rigs available for hire at approx 200 000 USD/day. Finally Gebran Bassil does not say that he expect oil/gas within three months, he says that he aim to invite tenders from the international oil companies within three months. Then we can expect a couple of months more before a winner is announced, and then follows a while for planning and preparation. Pipelines will not be built until they know the size and nature of a discovery. Please remove your anti-Aoun glasses on this particular article.
