Summary
Lebanon will start drilling for gas in maritime Block 4 before the end of the year and intends to launch a second licensing round in January 2020 if everything goes according to plan, a member of the Lebanese Petroleum Administration said Tuesday.
France's Total, Italy's Eni and Russia's Novatek have been awarded contracts to drill in blocks 4 and 9 in Lebanon's maritime borders.
Chbat said the companies had decided to drill in Block 4 and then start work in Block 9 .
Chbat emphasized that any positive or negative results in Block 4 would have a direct effect on Block 9 .
Chbat said the companies had no problem drilling in Block 9 despite objections from Israel.
During the opening ceremony, Lebanese Petroleum Administration Chairman Walid Nasr announced that the Energy Ministry would keep on executing the exploration strategy in blocks 4 and 9, where an environmental survey of the drilling sites has already started.
Zadro could not specify how many Italian companies were currently working in oil and gas in Lebanon or could be in the future, due to ongoing developments in the nascent sector and the potential for Italian companies' involvement at so many levels in the process.
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