Equipment to explore for offshore oil and gas from the Total company has arrived in Lebanon.
Caretaker Energy Minister Nada al-Boustani inspected the equipment at Beirut port on Saturday.
Total will kick off exploration in Lebanon’s Exclusive Economic Zone once it completes its operations in Egypt.
Boustani revealed that a ship with more equipment is set to arrive in Beirut on Sunday.
In 2018, February, Lebanon signed its first offshore oil and gas exploration and production agreements with the Total-Eni-Novatek consortium for offshore Blocks 4 and 9.
Former Energy Minister Cesar Abi Khalil had previously said exploration in Block 4 would start in 2019, while exploration in Block 9 would begin on the southern maritime border in 2020 after the final well is determined.
Lebanon has an unresolved maritime border dispute with Israel over a triangular area of sea of around 860 sq km (330 square miles) that extends along the edge of three of its total 10 blocks.
Israel is putting pressure on Total to halt exploration in Block 9. It claims that part of it is located in its Exclusive Economic Zone. But Lebanon insists on its right to explore it.
