Israel has denied a Lebanese allegation it is encroaching on a disputed Mediterranean natural gas field, playing down on June 6 any prospect of conflict over the dispute.
After months of deadlock in U.S.-mediated talks on maritime delineation, Beirut on June 5 warned against any activity in the disputed area, responding to the arrival of a vessel operated by London-based Energean to produce gas for Israel.
Israel says the field in question is within its exclusive economic zone, not in disputed waters.
“This [Lebanese account] is very far from reality,” Israeli Energy Minister Karin Elharrar told Tel Aviv radio 103 FM, adding that there was “unequivocally no” encroachment by Israel.
Lebanon is home to the heavily armed, Iran-backed Hezbollah group, which has fought numerous wars with Israel.
Hezbollah has previously warned Israel against drilling in the disputed area until the issue is resolved, and said the group would take action if it did so.
Asked about the prospect of escalation, Elharrar said: “We are not there at all. Really, such is the disconnect [between rhetoric and reality] that I do not believe they would take action.”
But she added: “Israel is making preparations [and] I recommend that no one try to surprise Israel.”
There was no immediate comment from the U.S., which in 2000 began mediating indirect talks between the two sides to settle a long-running dispute that has obstructed energy exploration in the eastern Mediterranean.
Energean said its floating production storage and offloading vessel arrived on June 5 at the Karish field, about 80 km (50 miles) west of the city of Haifa, in Israel’s exclusive economic zone.
The company said it planned to bring it online in the third quarter.
Lebanon says its border cuts into the sea at an angle farther south and Israel’s claim runs farther north, creating a triangle of disputed waters.
Last year, Beirut expanded its claim by around 1,400 sq km (540 sq miles), enlarging the area disputed with Israel.
Lebanon has yet to respond to an undisclosed proposal a U.S. envoy made early this year to revive the stalled talks. Elharrar voiced hope Beirut would come back to the table.
“Ultimately, there are gains to be made from negotiating, and they can get a gas field of their own,” she said.
Recommended Reading
Proven Volumes at Aramco’s Jafurah Field Jump on New Booking Approach
2024-02-27 - Aramco’s addition of 15 Tcf of gas and 2 Bbbl of condensate brings Jafurah’s proven reserves up to 229 Tcf of gas and 75 Bbbl of condensate.
Halliburton’s Low-key M&A Strategy Remains Unchanged
2024-04-23 - Halliburton CEO Jeff Miller says expected organic growth generates more shareholder value than following consolidation trends, such as chief rival SLB’s plans to buy ChampionX.
E&P Highlights: April 22, 2024
2024-04-22 - Here’s a roundup of the latest E&P headlines, including a standardization MoU and new contract awards.
TotalEnergies Starts Production at Akpo West Offshore Nigeria
2024-02-07 - Subsea tieback expected to add 14,000 bbl/d of condensate by mid-year, and up to 4 MMcm/d of gas by 2028.
Well Logging Could Get a Makeover
2024-02-27 - Aramco’s KASHF robot, expected to deploy in 2025, will be able to operate in both vertical and horizontal segments of wellbores.