Israel Authorizes Qatar To Drill In Lebanese Gas Field - Reports

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd November, 2022) Israel has authorized Qatar to take part in drilling of Lebanese gas field Kana-Sidon after Tel Aviv and Beirut signed an agreement on the demarcation of bilateral maritime border in October, Israeli media reported on Wednesday.

On October 11, Lebanon and Israel agreed on the US-mediated draft agreement on the demarcation of maritime border, thus ending a decades-old dispute. The deal has opened the way for offshore oil and gas exploration. According to the agreement, Israel has the right to veto the approval of any company involved in gas exploration in border area.

i24NEWS reported that Qatar's Energy Consortium was given green light by the Israeli government to begin its development activities in the gas field. The company is expected to be responsible for up to 30% of development of Kana-Sidon, replacing Russia's Novatek, which planned to work in the field jointly with France's TotalEnergies and Italy's ENI, the news portal added.

In early September, Novatek chief Leonid Mikhelson said that the company would gradually withdraw from projects on development of gas fields in Lebanon and sell its shares in the Lebanese shelf to the Lebanese government.�