TotalEnergies mobilizes to start Block 9 drilling in 2023

TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné said Monday that the French energy giant has mobilized the teams in charge of drilling operations in Lebanon's Block 9, as he met with caretaker Energy Minister Walid Fayyad.

TotalEnergies said that it has launched a call for tenders to select a vendor for a new drilling rig in the first quarter of 2023.

It added that pre-orders have also been placed with suppliers for the required equipment.

Environmental studies will also be finalized by the end of June 2023, the company said in a statement.

TotalEnergies and Italian hydrocarbon giant ENI had signed last month a framework agreement over Lebanon's Block 9.

It comes after Lebanon and Israel said in October that they had struck a "historic" deal to resolve a maritime border dispute involving offshore gas fields after years of U.S.-mediated talks.

TotalEnergies holds a 60 percent stake in block nine, while ENI holds 40 percent.