The Transocean Barents drilling platform entered the Strait of Gibraltar as it sailed towards Bloc 9 in Lebanese waters, where it will conduct the first drilling operation for oil and gas exploration and extraction.
The platform will halt in the Strait of Gibraltar for a few days to undergo power conversion and is expected to reach Lebanese waters by mid-August.
According to information, Caretaker Minister of Public Works Ali Hammieh is expected to sign the permission for the drilling platform’s entry and the aviation license for helicopters that will transport crews to and from the platform.
Efforts are also underway to obtain permits for the entry of hazardous materials, including explosives, which require approval from the Ministries of Defense, Interior, and Economy, as well as radioactive materials, necessitating approval from the Lebanese Atomic Energy Commission.
Preparations for the drilling operation are currently underway in Lebanese official circles. TotalEnergies EP Lebanon submitted its drilling license application on June 27, and the Petroleum Administration is reviewing the drilling standards prepared by Total.
The first ship carrying pipelines, which will be used to support the drilling operation in Bloc 9, arrived at the Port of Beirut.
In this context, TotalEnergies EP Lebanon has rented an area of 10,000 square meters at the Port of Beirut under an agreement with the port administration at an annual cost of $600,000. This area will serve as a logistics base for the drilling operation. On Tuesday, Caretaker Minister of Public Works Ali Hammieh, Caretaker Minister of Energy Walid Fayyad, and representatives from Total will visit this area.
Upon arrival in Lebanese waters, the drilling platform will require about a week to complete preparations before commencing the drilling operation. Discussions have already begun in Beirut about organizing visits for officials to the platform, but invitations are still under consideration.
According to Offshore Engineer website Total Energies awarded Transocean Barents semi-submersible drilling rig a one-well contract at a rate of $365,000, plus 3 one-well options at rates that may vary between $350,000 and $390,000. This contract starts in August and lasts until October 2023.
From October 2023 until January 2024, TotalEnergies exercised a one-well option for the Transocean Barents in the East Mediterranean Sea at a rate of $370,000. It’s unclear if this contract is still in Lebanon or elsewhere in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
TotalEnergies has informed that the rig has set sail from Norway and is now en route to Lebanon, where it will be used to drill in TotalEnergies’ offshore Block 9.
Transocean Ltd. is an American company. It is the world’s largest offshore drilling contractor based on revenue and is based in Vernier, Switzerland.
LBCI Ya Libnan/ OE/
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