Lebanon Cabinet OKs offshore oil exploration projects

January 4, 2012 ⋅ 11:10 pm ⋅ Post a comment

The cabinet met on Wednesday and approved a decree that enacts offshore oil exploration projects, including the formation of a committee to oversee the issue, Social Affairs Minister Wael Abu Faour told reporters press following the cabinet meeting at the Grand Serail.

The parliament endorsed the bill in August 2011.

“Among the most prominent items approved by the government was the adoption of a draft decree on the oil sector commission, which includes the financial and administrative regulations and organizes employment in the sector, as recommended by the relevant panel.” Abu Faour said and added that the cabinet agreed to amend certain laws, including ones related to the management of civil aviation.

Abu Faour also quoted Prime Minister Najib Mikati as telling the ministers that there needs to be “solidarity in the government in order to face challenges and called on the ministers to be united and harmonious and cooperative with the other constitutional authorities.”

Last December 28 the ministerial committee charged with following up the issue of oil and gas excavation referred the executive decrees prepared by the energy and water ministry to the government.

Briefing reporters after the committee’s meeting, Energy and Water Minister Gebran Bassil told reporters :

“The oil wealth is located in the south, center, north, near the coast, away from the coast and in all areas. ” The minister added “therefore we have several opportunities and capabilities that would allow us to easily utilize this oil wealth.”

Lebanon and Israel, which remain technically at war, have disputes over the maritime border after the discovery of potential offshore energy reserves. Each country prepared its own maritime border map

Lebanon argues its map is in line with an armistice accord drawn up in 1949, an agreement which is not contested by Israel.

Discussion

14 comments for “Lebanon Cabinet OKs offshore oil exploration projects”

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Anonymous

Great news. So how will we protect our coast from Israel who has publicly declared its intention to have full control (read steal, lie, and manipulate) over the gas fields?

http://iranaware.blogspot.com/ Iran Aware

Facts please. The fields found are absolutely in Israels waters.You dont even know what you have because you haven’t looked yet have you? No too busy doing nothing since Iran jacked the government your just to busy thinking up conspiracy theories on how the west and Israel is secretly trying to rip you off.

Anonymous

Facts? Read Netanyahu and Liberman’s shameful comments. Part of those fields are in Lebanese waters as mutually agreed upon by Israel and Lebanon in the armistice accord. What more would you like? This is a classic case of Israel being greedy, first land, now waters.
http://iamiranaware.wordpress.com/ Iran Aware

No Leviathan and Tamar are definitely not in, or even near the area in dispute. If you compare the maps from Israel, Lebanon, and Nobel energy the blocks in question are.Im answering on discus so i cant send u the pictures but if you google “Israel noble energy gas” then go to images there are several. I posted one that had both Israels and Lebanon’s ideas marked where the line should be and the distance to the fields. the rest of the blocks that are by the disputed area and overlap have NOT been as much as even had testing done exactly for this reason. The Leviathan, Sara,and Tamar are not yours no matter how much Hezbollah says they are.Noble Energy who has a stake in the set of blocks in question will not even look until this is worked out..I suggest you do the same thing Israel did.In your case, a quarter mile north of the disputed line and start looking NOW. It is foolish to waste more time on this,worry about the line later, and start looking in your area. Cypress found it too, and that means flat out you most likely have it. But you will never get it if you dont look. Get them projects rolling, the line will work out in the UN later, but in the meanwhile dont deny yourself what is sitting right in front of your face waiting for you.

Anonymous

In THIS case, they are quite happy to go to the UN for help in getting a decision.

Anonymous

Just like the MP’S in Lebanon have sold, first thier soul for money, killed own people, let others kill the Lebanese robbed the people. Now with this project I will bet you $1 that nothing will happen for 10 years.
HA will make up some crap against Isreal and bring in the people they want for this project so they take the money and fund for another 5 or 6 wars.
Good buy Lebanon it will be lost this time for ever and it want be because the Jews or Syria or anyone else but because the Lebanese people let it happen……..I have no more tears for my country.

Anonymous

Great news. So how will we protect our coast from Israel who has publicly declared its intention to have full control (read steal, lie, and manipulate) over the gas fields?
http://iranaware.blogspot.com/ Iran Aware

I love that in your map Israels gas fields are elevated higher up than they really are, They definitely are not any bit yours. Dont be greedy, Im sure you have alot of gas too. But you will never get it as long as you have terrorists running your government. Here is the actual map from Noble Energy. NOT Israel.The Hezbollah trash is lying to you as usual. Get rid of these swindlers before they get you into another war, or if and when you do find your gas, they dont steal it all too.

Anonymous

The problem with Arabs is they will blame everyone else, but will never look in the mirror.
I am Lebanese and all I want is to have peace with and friendship with other nations.
Enough of this hate and blame everything on others. We need to move on and sit and talk.
This could be thousands of jobs for the people but nothing will start for ten years.

http://iamiranaware.wordpress.com/ Iran Aware

Na I think you could get them in there in a year or 2, but the jobs part comes after you get it all built.Israel and Cypress are going to build a huge floating processing center then transport it to Europe n Asia.If Hezbollah wasn’t in the government you coulda fast tracked drilling and prolly got a piece of that action as soon as you made discoveries.There has to be gas there, maybe not oil but def gas.You want the Gas,its cleaner than oil and in the future its going to be just as profitable as the world slowly switches to greener energy

http://iranaware.blogspot.com/ Iran Aware

I love that in your map Israels gas fields are elevated higher up than they really are, They definitely are not any bit yours. Dont be greedy, Im sure you have alot of gas too. But you will never get it as long as you have terrorists running your government. Here is the actual map from Noble Energy. NOT Israel.The Hezbollah trash is lying to you as usual. Get rid of these swindlers before they get you into another war, or if and when you do find your gas, they dont steal it all too.

Anonymous

How can you not see how Israel’s border cuts UPWARD into Lebanon’s? Those maps are based off of Israel’s maps because Lebanon has not submitted any to Noble, who are a corporation and have no legal authority to draw borders. Just look at that map, the border should extend straight out, not diagonally like the Lebanese rightfully insist. Hezbollah is not lying, that map is just trash, as per the usual productions of Israel.
Anonymous

How can you not see how Israel’s border cuts UPWARD into Lebanon’s? Those maps are based off of Israel’s maps because Lebanon has not submitted any to Noble, who are a corporation and have no legal authority to draw borders. Just look at that map, the border should extend straight out, not diagonally like the Lebanese rightfully insist. Hezbollah is not lying, that map is just trash, as per the usual productions of Israel.

Anonymous

I hope the Lebanese politicians do not slice the pie in their favor thinking their pockets are closer then the citizens pockets.

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