Lebanon will start drilling before the end of 2019

Will start drilling  in maritime Block 4 before the end of the year and plans to launch a second licensing round in January 2020 if everything goes according to plan, a member of the Lebanese Petroleum Administration said Tuesday.  France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek have been awarded contracts to drill in blocks 4 and 9 in Lebanon’s maritime borders.“There is interdependency between Block 4 and 9, and for this reason any commercial discovery in Block 4 will give an indication about the prospects of gas and oil reserves in Block 9,” a member of the Lebanese Petroleum Administration was quoted as saying Tuesday

Italy keen to cooperate with Lebanon in oil, gas sector

 “Italian companies are placing big hopes on Lebanon as a gate for exporting oil and gas to other countries,” said Francesca Zadro, trade commissioner of the Italian Trade Agency in Beirut, during the fifth Lebanon International Oil and Gas Summit.

The head of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Tuesday that the situation is stable along the Blue Line separating Lebanon and Israel. “We have been experiencing noticeable stability which is indicative of the effective use of our liaison and coordination mechanisms, coupled with restraint and continued engagement by the parties,” UNIFIL chief Stefano Del Col said in a statement.

Ayatollah Sistani Meets Speaker Berri, Demands Regional Role for Iraq

Lebanon Speaker Nabih Berri quoted Iraq’s top Shiite cleric, Ayatollah Ali Sistani, as demanding a regional role for Iraq.

“Sistani is a fighter for the cause of Iraq unity, progress and defeating corruption,” Berri said during a press conference after meeting with the Shiite cleric in Najaf. “Sistani maintains that Iraq should fulfil its regional role, and he is no less keen towards Lebanon than he is towards Iraq,” he added.

Venezuelan FM Expected in Lebanon

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza will visit Lebanon on Tuesday as part of a regional tour to explain the crisis in his country as a result of the conflict between President Nicolas Maduro and opposition House Speaker Juan Guaido. Arreaza will reportedly explain the position of  the Venezuelan government and will be meeting with all the Anti US officials including President Michel Aoun,  Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, and Hezbollah chief  Hassan Nasrallah. His visit comes  after Venezuelan Supreme Court asked the Constituent Assembly, ( both institutions are Maduro rubber stamps)   to lift the parliamentary immunity of opposition leader Juan Guaido, who has been recognized by about 50 countries as the transitional president of the country. In many ways Venezuela has  recently become like Lebanon, no electricity and no water