'A day of joy in Lebanon's darkness': Berri, Mikati visit drilling rig in block 9

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri arrived Tuesday at Beirut's airport to take a helicopter that will transport them to the drilling rig in Block 9.

Mikati, Berri, caretaker Energy Minister Walid Fayyad and caretaker Minister of Public Works and Transport Ali Hamiyeh visited the Transocean Barents drilling rig which will start within a few days searching for gas in Block 9 offshore Lebanon.

"In this darkness comes a day of joy, for which I worked for many years, until the framework agreement was reached," Berri said before heading to the rig.

In October, Lebanon and Israel signed a landmark border agreement that opens up lucrative offshore gas fields for the eastern Mediterranean neighbors.

Beirut divided its exclusive economic zone at sea into 10 blocks, and Block 9 was part of the area disputed with Israel.

Block 9 contains the so-called Qana field or Sidon reservoir.

Under the U.S.-mediated deal between Lebanon and Israel that was signed in October, the disputed waters would be divided along a line straddling the “Qana” natural gas field in the Mediterranean. Gas production would be based on the Lebanese side, but Israel would be compensated for gas extracted from its side of the line under a separately signed deal between TotalEnergies and Israel.

Berri hoped to see good results within months and said that gas exploration could save Lebanon from its deep financial crisis.

There are still no proven gas reserves in the field that straddles the maritime border, but a 2012 seismic study by the British firm Spectrum estimated recoverable gas reserves in Lebanon at 25.4 trillion cubic feet.

Lebanese officials have announced higher estimates.

Many politicians in Lebanon have pinned hopes of a way out of crisis on gas exploration, but analysts have said Beirut cannot count on gas alone to bail it out.