Lebanon extends application deadline for second offshore licensing round
April 28, 2020
Lebanese authorities have again extended the deadline to submit applications for open blocks in the Second Offshore Licensing Round. An original application deadline of Jan. 31 was postponed to Apr. 30. Given the implications of the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) worldwide, the new deadline to submit the licensing round applications is June 1.
Based on the approved recommendation of the Lebanese Petroleum Administration, the Minister of Energy and Water Nada Boustani declared on Apr. 5, 2019, that Blocks 1, 2, 5, 8 and 10 are open to receive bids in the round.
Blocks 4 and 9 were previously awarded to a consortium of Total SA (operator, 40%), Eni SPA (40%), and OAO Novatek (20%) (OGJ Online, Oct. 13, 2017; Feb. 9, 2018). Both blocks are in water depths of 1,400-1,800 m.
Vantage Drilling’s Tungsten Explorer drillship was contracted to start drilling activity in Block 4. The drillship reached Lebanese waters on Feb. 25. The consortium began drilling well 16/1, the first exploration well on the block, on Mar. 3, targeting the Lower Miocene in water depth of 1,515 m.
On Apr. 21, Lebanese authorities reiterated that drilling operations require a period of no less than 2 months and that it was too early to determine drilling results before activities are fully completed.
