Summary
Many commentators, Lebanese and foreign alike, warned particularly of the risk, and for some even the inevitability, of widespread corruption in Lebanon's emerging petroleum sector. They variously suspect that high levels of corruption will result from an unhappy mix involving international oil companies not especially reputed for fair and transparent practices, Lebanon's political class that is widely viewed as corrupt and greedy and a dysfunctional, divided and gridlocked political process at best geared toward divvying up the cake – what is known in Lebanon as "mukhasasa".
To be fully prepared for Lebanon's possible transformation into a major oil and gas producer, the risks of corruption in its nascent petroleum sector need to be better understood and addressed.
These were undertaken with the aim of raising public awareness and knowledge relevant to the petroleum sector and its governance, and monitoring Lebanon's media coverage of the issue while enhancing media capacity.
It may also help create more favorable conditions to counter the risks of corruption if or when petroleum production begins and the revenues start coming in.
...