BEIRUT- Lebanon expects exploratory drilling for offshore oil and gas to start at the beginning of 2019, Energy and Water Minister Cesar Abi Khalil said on Thursday.
Abi Khalil spoke to reporters after a cabinet session which approved a bid by a consortium made up of France's Total , Italy's ENI and Russia's Novatek for exploration and production rights in two blocks, in the country's first oil and gas offshore licensing round.
(Reporting by Lisa Barrington and Laila Bassam; Editing by Adrian Croft) ((lisa.barrington@thomsonreuters.com; +961)(0)(1954456;))
Abi Khalil spoke to reporters after a cabinet session which approved a bid by a consortium made up of France's Total , Italy's ENI and Russia's Novatek for exploration and production rights in two blocks, in the country's first oil and gas offshore licensing round.
(Reporting by Lisa Barrington and Laila Bassam; Editing by Adrian Croft) ((lisa.barrington@thomsonreuters.com; +961)(0)(1954456;))
