Report: Progress in Oil Exploration File Slowing Down

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Even though anticipations were high that the file of Lebanon’s oil and gas wealth might witness a push-start following the Eid al-Fitr holiday, reports said that the progress seems to be staggering, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Saturday.

Prime Minister Tammam Salam wants to make some contacts before he convenes the ministerial committee tasked with studying the file and later put the issue on the cabinet’s agenda in order to pass the needed decrees, said the daily.

Energy Minister Arthur Nazarian told al-Joumhouria that “the issue is in the Prime Minister’s hands.”

Early in July, reports said that executive decrees for offshore oil and gas exploration were to be issued before the month’s end so that a call for tenders can be organized.

In addition to these decrees, the parliament must issue a law specifying the taxes that will be slapped on the bidding oil firms or else no global company would submit a tender, which would raise the problem of holding a legislative session for parliament.

The oil file was activated after Free Patriotic Movement and the AMAL Movement officials met in Ain al-Tineh and announced that they have settled their disputes over the excavation of Lebanon’s offshore oil and gas reserves.

The disagreement between the two parties has hindered agreements on energy extraction for years.

On whether Salam was disappointed that he was not briefed on the agreement between the FPM and AMAL, Nazarian said: “Salam has the executive decrees now and they are at the cabinet’s general secretariat and there is no need for meetings and contacts, but I will try to talk to him in the following two days.”

SourceNaharnet
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