The French Embassy in Lebanon, via its official account on the “X” platform, stated that the signing of the gas exploration agreement in Block No. 8 within the Lebanese Exclusive Economic Zone with the consortium of “TotalEnergies,” “Eni,” and “QatarEnergy” is “good news for Lebanon.” The embassy affirmed that this step embodies the international commitment to continue exploration operations in cooperation with the Lebanese authorities.
The conclusion of this agreement comes within the framework of continuous efforts to revive the oil and gas file in Lebanon, after years of obstruction due to political and financial crises, in addition to the technical difficulties that hindered exploration work in maritime areas. It is worth noting that previous drilling operations in Block No. 9 concluded without reaching commercial discoveries, which necessitated the Lebanese state and its international partners to re-evaluate technical plans and expand the scope of exploration to include additional areas.
Block 8 is considered one of the areas that holds great promise within the Lebanese Exclusive Economic Zone, and it has been included in subsequent licensing rounds with the aim of attracting investments and maintaining the interest of major international companies in the Lebanese market, despite the deteriorating economic conditions. The agreement also falls within the framework of official Lebanese efforts to consolidate partnerships with international companies and enhance global confidence in Lebanon’s ability to move forward in the exploration process, as one of the main bets to overcome the economic crisis in the medium and long term.
