Lebanon's energy exploration: Awaiting TotalEnergies' next move

In the next 48 hours, TotalEnergies is expected to have closed the well it drilled in Block No. 9 as part of the contract's first phase. Upon completing this operation, the drillship will depart to Cyprus to drill another well for TotalEnergies.

The drillship will leave, and Lebanon will return to a state of waiting.

However, drilling a second well in Block No. 9 is not expected to occur before May 2025, according to the contract signed with the consortium consisting of TotalEnergies, Eni, and Qatar Energy.

Furthermore, Block No. 4 will not be drilling for a second well because this block will return to the Lebanese state on the 22nd of October 2023, and it can be included in the bidding process in any future licensing round.

The evaluation process for the offers submitted for Blocks 8 and 10 continues, and the report will be presented to the Minister of Energy and the government soon, with a recommendation to expedite exploration procedures in any new contracts.

The drillship leaves, and TotalEnergies has not officially announced the drilling results for the well in Block No. 9, even in the form of a statement.

Thus, everyone is waiting for the report, which may take about three months.