Lebanon’s gas hopes threatened by corruption
Energy sector legislation may not prevent corruption marring any future gas discoveries, a new book says
Lebanon will take important steps in the coming months which will ultimately determine if it is to join the ranks of East Mediterranean countries with offshore gas reserves. A consortium of Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek is expected to start drilling in the country’s Block 9 concession by mid-2020. And 31 January next year is the bid closing date for five more offshore blocks (1,2, 5, 8 and 10). All looks set fair. Given Lebanon’s current economic problems—and the angry public reaction to government efforts to solve them—the discovery of gas would surely provide an enormous boost for the country’s coffers. Or would it? Only a few pages into The Future of Petroleum in Lebanon: Ene
Also in this section
21 February 2025
While large-scale planned LNG schemes in sub-Saharan Africa have faced fresh problems, FLNG projects are stepping into that space
20 February 2025
Greater social mobility means increased global demand for refined fuels and petrochemical products, with Asia leading the way in the expansion of refining capacity
19 February 2025
The EU would do well to ease its gas storage requirements to avoid heavy purchase costs this summer, with the targets having created market distortion while giving sellers a significant advantage over buyers
18 February 2025
Deliveries to China decline by around 1m b/d from move to curb crude exports to Shandong port, putting Iran under further economic pressure
