Lebanese Representative Outlines Energy Plan

Lebanese Minister of Energy and Water Gebran Bassil laid out plans to expand and streamline Lebanon’s energy sector in his lecture “Offshore Petroleum Exploration in Lebanon: Prospects and Opportunities” in Lohrfink Auditorium Tuesday.

Bassil noted that Lebanon’s geography — the Mediterranean to the west and oil pipelines in the east — has an important impact on its energy sector.

He aims to provide Lebanon with the opportunity to develop its oil and natural gas resources, describing his plan to increase Lebanon’s access to hydrocarbon resources, improve gas pipeline security and collaborate with more foreign oil corporations.

“I hope we can send the message that Lebanon can be a safe haven for oil investment in the region,” Bassil said.

Bassil emphasized that Lebanon must accept international oil companies from Britain and the United States before it can develop its own national petroleum corporation.

“It is a sharing model where you need to bring companies. It is the first operation that we are doing,” Bassil said.

According to Bassil, both Petroleum Geo-Services and Spectrum Surveying & Engineering have conducted research on Lebanon’s offshore hydrocarbon reserves.

Dr. Osama Abi-Mershed, director of the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, introduced Bassil and expressed his support for expansion of Lebanon’s cooperation with other states.

“I think they’re ready to sign up to work with international groups,” Abi-Mershed said.