With the developments in security events over the past few days, will oil exploration in Block 9 remain unaffected, even if the southern front ignites, especially since the drilling is nearing completion, with initial results expected by the end of this month regarding the presence of gas in commercial quantities or not? During the security developments in Gaza, the Israeli Ministry of Energy announced a temporary halt of production from the "Tamar" gas field, which is located in the Mediterranean Sea, 25 kilometers off Israel's southern coast. Can a similar step be expected from "Total" regarding Block 9, which is in the drilling phase nearing completion? Is such an expectation feasible in the upcoming phase?
In this context, oil expert Aboud Zahr confirmed to "Al-Jumhuriya" that "Total" cannot take such a step for two reasons: First, we are still in the drilling phase, while the "Tamar" field has moved to the production phase, as it is extracting gas above ground, and stopping work on this field means shutting down the "supply line" through which gas supplies flow. He explained that "given the escalating security conditions, any terrorist act on the production site would lead to a disaster. Therefore, its closure is justifiable, while we are still in the drilling phase taking place at a depth of 1,700 meters below water surface and 1,800 meters below seabed, which equals 3,500 meters below water surface, making it completely safe."
Zahr pointed out that stopping gas production in Israel will have repercussions that will manifest sooner or later, as Israel uses gas in its local market and supplies it to its factories. We are about nine years away from any production phase. Secondly, drilling in Block 9 is nearing completion, with only about 700 meters remaining before reaching the desired point, so it is very unlikely to stop it. Therefore, there is no reason for concern. Additionally, 60 to 70 percent of the logistical services for drilling operations have been in collaboration with the port of Limassol - Cyprus. Thus, even supplies and services will be insulated from any security events as they come from outside the port of Beirut in case the security situation develops unfavorably.
Zahr reassured that drilling operations continue normally, noting that technically the drilling rig is about 30 kilometers from the Lebanese coast. However, in case of war, certainty and reassurance cannot be guaranteed, as no one knows in which direction events may evolve. He revealed that reaching the desired drilling point is imminent, and although the crew on the rig will know the drilling results immediately, the official results will not be announced until the end of the current month. This is because there are several stages that "Total" must undergo before announcing the results, including taking samples of hydrocarbon rocks for examination to determine the nature of the materials found at a potential depth of 4,400 meters, after which they must obtain a series of approvals from French authorities before making any official announcement. If hydrocarbon materials are found, we will proceed to the phase of experimental extraction based on the results to be released by the end of this month.
