Report: Lebanon Recovers 530 Square Kilometers of its EEZ
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Lebanon was able to restore 530 square kilometers of a maritime zone that it considers it to be within its Exclusive Economic Zone, As Safir newspaper reported on Wednesday.
Lebanon and Israel are bickering over a zone that consists of about 854 square kilometers and suspected energy reserves there could generate billions of dollars.
The United States and the United Nations acknowledged Lebanon’s rights to control the 530 square kilometer disputed area after prolonged diplomatic and political efforts, the daily said.
“We should swiftly kick off the oil exploration process,” Speaker Nabih Berri said in comments published in As Safir.
He noted that the Lebanese should stop quarreling among each other as Israel took advantage and started exploring for oil and gas while Lebanon remains behind in this matter.
On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour pointed out that a report will be referred to Prime Minister Najib Miqati regarding the demarcation of Lebanon’s EEZ.
He noted that a meeting held by the technical expert committee on the EEZ didn’t discuss the offshore natural gas fields that were discovered near the northern city of Israel, Haifa.
The Israel Opportunity energy exploration partnership said that prospecting at the Pelagic group of deep-sea fields, west of Haifa, showed a potential 189 billion cubic meters (6.7 trillion cubic feet) of gas and 1.4 billion barrels of oil there.
In March 2010, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated a mean of 1.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil and a mean of 34.5 trillion cubic meters of recoverable gas in the Levant Basin in the eastern Mediterranean, which includes the territorial waters of Lebanon, Israel, Syria and Cyprus.
Lebanon has been slow to exploit its maritime resources compared with other eastern Mediterranean countries. Israel, Cyprus and Turkey are all much more advanced in drilling for oil and gas.
06 June 2012, 08:57
02
They haven't started exploration because they still didn't decide who's going to steal what and who's son or relative is going to win which goverment tender.
With no natural resources and our politicians are sucking Lebanon's economy dry imagine what's going to happen if they find oil. The 1% rich will get richer and the 99% will get poorer.
06 June 2012, 09:15
02
Lebanon can't even produce enough electricity for one of the smallest populations in the world, this oil will remain where it is for the next 50 years while politicians/warlords argue.
06 June 2012, 10:10
02
take your time, we were first in few things soon we'll be last in everything
06 June 2012, 10:50
14
"Lebanon has been slow to exploit its maritime resources compared with other eastern Mediterranean countries."
no wonder with the bunch of irresponsible politicians that rule this country....
06 June 2012, 13:34
03
This is to show that you can reach your goals, retain your rights with knowledge and using international law.
Using arms will just lead to losses for a country like Lebanon.
06 June 2012, 13:34
00
I have not been able to figure out why oil exploration has not started yet when the country is literally moving toward bankrupthy. The current debt ($52.5 billions)and debt to GPD ratio 133%. Simpy put this is crazy!!
06 June 2012, 14:14
00
well I would like to see the positive note, coz finally we have managed to get a large part of our sea back, the next is a matter of time. now the only question is: where will we spend our vacations once we're billionaires;))?
06 June 2012, 18:36
00
Slash... Why are you so negatively aggressive to someone who is obviously making a non partisan, light hearted comment? Take a chill pill man.
06 June 2012, 22:40
00
People have been killing each other in Lebanon for millenia over nothing. Now they have something to fight over. This is terrible news.
07 June 2012, 07:55
00
jehha told kids so he can get rid of them that there is a man on mountain givig away candy. So they all ran up th maountain. Soon, he was runnung too. his friend screams: What are you doing/ gehha said: What if they were right? There is not a single proof there is oil. maybe some gas that may be too expensive to explore.
04 November 2012, 10:01
00
All in All ladies and gents , we are heading towrads trouble !But again , thats not something new !
