Lebanon Anticipating Discovery of ‘Huge Amount’ of Oil, Bassil Urges Cabinet to Take Swift Measures
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The cabinet is expected to tackle during its session next week a decree set to organize the country’s natural resources sector, and swiftly appoint the members of the committee tasked with administrating the oil sector.
“For the first time in history we have studies that estimate the quantities (of oil wealth in our offshores), and they are huge… They are enough to secure the future of the coming generations,” Energy Minister Jebran Bassil told As Safir newspaper on Thursday.
He urged the cabinet to take the necessary measures swiftly and to avoid the “routine and bureaucratic ways.”
“All the decrees and agreements are ready… We need to quickly appoint the committee members and set up the international tenders,” the minister told the daily.
Speaker Nabih Berri held talks with his Cypriot counterpart during an official visit to Cyprus on Wednesday the maritime border between the two countries.
He held talks with Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias and Parliament Speaker Marios Garoian.
Berri asked Cypriot officials to reconsider an agreement between Cyprus and Israel on the exploration of the natural resources in a maritime area that Lebanese officials argue it violates their Exclusive Economic Zone.
The Israeli map conflicts with Lebanon's proposed maritime border. Beirut argues its map is in line with an armistice accord drawn up in 1949, an agreement which is not contested by Israel.
The EEZ disputed area consists of about 854 square kilometers, and suspected energy reserves there could generate billions of dollars.
Sources told As Safir newspaper that Lebanon is “waiting from Cyprus to rectify the error.”
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.
01 March 2012, 12:25
03
We should put our disputes aside ecourage our national football team & start digging for oil!!!!!
01 March 2012, 12:47
12
Who's going to steal our oil? Berry, Aoun, Jumblatt or Hariri? I think I'm going to pass on this one, might as well give it to Israel since we aren't going to benefit from it. By giving it to the Zionist entity, Arab Israelis will be able to use our natural resources. Sad, sad, sad...
01 March 2012, 13:31
02
its a blessing and our only economical hope ,
for our next generations start digging now
01 March 2012, 15:29
03
Without even the need for natural resources, our country is the most corrupt and the different sects undermine the definition of the state. This. Oil will be the biggest curse to ever hit Lebanese. People will at that point really adopt the lifestyle of gcc countries that we make fun of all the time
01 March 2012, 15:45
10
hehehe, I agree with Moonsear, my only problem will then be where to spend summer, in KSA?
01 March 2012, 18:05
02
All the oil wealth will go to Berri's pocket, no wonder he's talking about all the time
01 March 2012, 21:31
01
What's the point of another resource of oil if we can't even get our electricity and roads figured out. The oil resource will end up just like our electricity and roads. Fix what we have before ruining what we don't...
01 March 2012, 21:41
00
Isarel, Assad, Berri, Aoun and Nousralla are drooling over our national wealth to fill up their pockets...we need transparent laws and ways to enforce these laws...unfortunately that cannot happen with illegal arms present.
01 March 2012, 23:45
01
keep the oil in the bottom of the sea until we get rid of berri,aoun,hassouni,kanaan,and the rest
02 March 2012, 06:32
01
As much as i want the price of oil to go down I prefer the prices stay as is. I know this sounds crazy, but it is the right thing to do. the Obama Administration is keeping the oil price high on purpose to "push" the American public to invest into alternative energy thus creating a whole new market for green energy and become energy dependent. At the same time we all know that oil prices will not go down in Lebanon because like ayoor said "they will steal it all".
This is will be my next blog post, check it out :)
lightlebanon.blogspot.com
