The official confirmation came on Friday that there is no gas in Block 9. Leakages had been reported since Wednesday evening, according to informed sources, revealing that "the consortium responsible for exploratory drilling found only water."
This article was originally published in and translated from Lebanese newspaper Nidaa Al-Watan.
This is the second shock for Lebanon after the first, which announced years ago the absence of oil and gas in commercial quantities in Block 4.
Conspiracy theories ignited Friday amid regional events, linking the gas absence leak to alleged pressures on Lebanon.
Consultant in petroleum affairs, Khadija Hakim, told Nidaa Al-Watan that it was expected that the exploratory drilling would be completed by the end of this month, the 67-day deadline set by the operator (TotalEnergies) to complete drilling in well "Qana-31/1."
Affirming: "It is surprising to have the announcement before the deadline. However, the absence of a final Lebanese response or comment until now raises bewilderment and confusion, with disappointment that the Lebanese citizen can no longer bear."
Hakim added: "The timing of leaking this news, amidst the tension in the region and rumors about the possibility of dragging Lebanon into a comprehensive war with Israel, is suspicious."
"The timing of announcing the absence of gas, and the official silence on the response or final comment, raises questions about the validity of what is said about international pressure on Lebanon, especially with Israel starting its ground war on Gaza, to secure Lebanon's neutrality in the ongoing war in exchange for the oil and gas file."
She continued: "If what was rumored is true, we will undoubtedly be under the influence of a shock that will not only affect the 'borders of disappointment in Block 9' but will also affect the concerns of Blocks 8 and 10, for which the consortium submitted bids."
"This will also revive questions about the feasibility and purpose of rushing to demarcate the boundaries of the southern exclusive economic zone, which we still consider a 'booby-trapped zone' that gave Israel more than it could dream of at the expense of Lebanon's rights and wealth."
Nidaa Al-Watan continued its interview with gas legal expert Christina Abi Haidar, who affirmed that "it is not the end of the world," as each block contains more than one patch, and what leaked affects only one patch. This means that we cannot conclusively say that the block does not contain oil or gas in commercial quantities. If drilling moves to another patch, it is possible to find quantities.
She added: "The biggest example of this is what happened in Egypt, where Eni discovered an Egyptian gas field in 'Zohr,' one of the largest fields in the Mediterranean after Shell had abandoned this block after several unsuccessful exploration attempts."
She continued: "From the first day, I was against the statement 'Lebanon is an oil country,' it was premature to declare that. We cannot say we are an 'oil country' unless we are sure of the existence of commercial reserves."
She pointed out that "the Lebanese side pinned hopes on illusions, which is a big mistake before completing the exploration work and showing commercial results."