Officials Refuse to Budge an Inch on Petroleum Debate
Sharp discord over the petroleum file reached a dead end on Monday as political foes are holding onto their stances regarding the necessity of holding an extraordinary session to tackle two decrees essential to award the oil blocs for the oil companies.
Energy Minister Jebran Bassil revealed in comments published in As Safir newspaper that he will contact caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati soon to discuss the matter.
He denied that the two decrees were referred to the cabinet without the approval of the petroleum authority.
Bassil accused some officials, without naming them, of blocking the two decrees that took their legal path to the government seven months ago.
The decrees call for demarcating 10 maritime oil exploration blocs and setting up a revenue-sharing model.
The country's oil and gas wealth attracted around 46 Arab and international companies in the second pre-qualification round of the tenders process.
Sources close to Miqati said that the caretaker PM is holding on to his stance, rejecting to call for an extraordinary session to tackle the two decrees.
“Holding an extraordinary session specified to discuss the petroleum file is not possible amid the current circumstances,” the sources told al-Joumhouria newspaper.
The sources reiterated that a caretaker cabinet tackle any “fundamental issue.”
For his part, Speaker Nabih Berri considered that holding the session is a “priority” in order to confront “the continuous Israeli threats for the country's wealth.”
He explained that he is “insisting on demarcating 10 maritime oil exploration blocs in a single stage” to block any attempts by Israel to exploit Lebanon's oil reserves and to provide the country with the necessary financial resources it needs.
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.
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.
Caretaker Economy and Trade Minister Nicolas Nahas told As Safir newspaper that there's a discord over the petroleum file, which is the mean reason for delaying the cabinet session over the matter.
March 14 sources told the daily that the coalition “demanded that the cabinet don't hold a session to tackle the two decrees to avoid any unconstitutional actions.”
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