TotalEnergies to enter Block 8 offshore Lebanon - OIL & GAS JOURNAL

Jan. 9, 2026

TotalEnergies signed an agreement with the Lebanese government for the Block 8 exploration permit offshore Lebanon.

As part of the initial work program, TotalEnergies will acquire a 1,200-sq-km 3D seismic survey to further assess the area’s exploration potential.

TotalEnergies was awarded Block 8 in the Third Offshore Licensing round. TotalEnergies is operator of the block (35%) with partners Eni (35%) and QatarEnergy (30%).

Block 8 lies about 70 km off the southern coast of Lebanon in water depths of 1,700-2,100 m.

Dana Gas spuds Merak-1 wildcat off Egypt - OIL & GAS JOURNAL

HOUSTON, May 22, 2019

Dana Gas PJSC, Sharjah, has spudded a deepwater wildcat on its North El Arish concession area offshore Egypt (OGJ Online, Feb. 18, 2014).

The company says the Merak-1 well is on one of three prospects it describes as “world class” in the area, also known as Block 6.

The ADVantage Drilling Services SAE Tungsten Explorer drillship is drilling the well in 755 m of water. The area is southeast of Eni’s giant Zohr natural gas discovery.

Dana Gas holds a 100% interest in the concession. It expects drilling of the Merak prospect to take 70 days.

Energean renews Karish-Cyprus gas line bid - OIL & GAS JOURNAL

HOUSTON, May 10 2019

Energean Oil & Gas, London, has submitted an updated proposal to the Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority to supply gas to the island nation from deepwater Karish field offshore Israel.

The operator proposes to lay a 200-km pipeline from the Energean Power floating production, storage, and offloading vessel, which will handle production from Karish and Tanin fields, to Vasilicos, Cyprus.

Energean first proposed a pipeline between the FPSO and Cyprus last year. The government rejected the proposal and solicited bids for a floating LNG import facility.

In a press release, Energean called its updated plan “supplementary to the LNG import procedures launched by the Cypriot government.” It said it has signed a letter of intent for supply of gas to “private power generation license holders in Cyprus.”

The FPSO, with treatment capacity of 800 MMscfd of natural gas and storage capacity of 800,000 bbl of liquids, is under construction at Zhousan, China (OGJ Online, Apr. 16, 2019).

Energean plans to develop Karish field before Tanin.

The fields are 40 km apart in water deeper than 1,700 m.

Ithaca to operate Alon D license off Israel - OIL & GAS JOURNAL

HOUSTON, Mar. 19
MARCH/19/2019

Ithaca Energy Inc., a wholly owned Canadian subsidiary of Delek Group Ltd., will become operator of the Alon D exploration license offshore Israel under an agreement with Noble Energy Mediterranean Ltd.

Noble, the current operator with a 47.059% interest, is withdrawing from the license.

The Alon D block is immediately east of Noble’s Karish natural gas discovery on a block now operated by a subsidiary of Energean Oil & Gas PLC, London (OGJ Online, May 23, 2013).

Delek Drilling LP holds a 52.941% interest in the Alon D license.

Under the new agreement, interests will be Delek Drilling, 75%, and Ithaca Energy, 25%.

Delek Group said it approached “several potential operators” that showed no interest in the role.

Israel seeking interest for second offshore bid round - OIL & GAS JOURNAL

HOUSTON, June/13/2018
Paula Dittrick

Israel plans a second offshore bid round in late 2018 or early 2019, which will involve about 25 southern blocks. Israel’s Chief Geologist Miki Gardosh describes the blocks as being in a highly prospective area that has experienced less exploration than elsewhere offshore.

An initial offshore round was completed in November 2017 resulting in six exploration licenses being awarded. The first-round bidders primarily involved Indian companies. Gardosh said the second-round offering will group 3-4 blocks to make it “more attractive to companies.”

During a trip to Houston June 11, Gardosh said he was soliciting more interest from US oil companies in Israeli offshore blocks. He also visited Calgary.

The second round will offer licenses for up to 7 years with operators required to drill or deciding to drill within 3 years. He said Levant basin models forecast high potential for oil and gas. About 75 tcf of gas has been discovered in the Levant basin in recent years.

Egypt lets contract for Midor refinery expansion - OIL & GAS JOURNAL

Houston, JUNE/08/2018
Robert Brelsford

The government of Egypt has let a contract to TechnipFMC PLC to provide services related to the implementation of the expansion at state-owned Middle East Oil Refinery Co.’s (Midor) 115,000-b/d refinery in El Amreya Free Zone, Alexandria, Egypt.

Signed on June 7, the $1.7-billion contract will cover construction, supplies, and engineering designs for the expansion, which aims to increase overall refining capacity at the site by 60% to 175,000 b/d, Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (MPMR) said.

Overall cost of Midor’s expansion project—which will include participation of Egypt’s ENPPI and Petrojet—will amount to about $2.2 billion, MOP said.

Alongside increasing Midor’s crude processing capacity, the expansion also will raise the refinery’s current LNG production by about 145,000 tonnes/year, benzene 95 by about 600,000 tpy, and jet fuel by about 1.3 million tpy.

The Midor expansion comes as part of MPMR’s integrated plan to develop, upgrade, and increase efficiency and production quality of Egypt’s refineries through implementation of a series of new projects across manufacturing sites to help meet domestic petroleum product demand as well as reduce imports from abroad, said Tariq El-Molla, Egypt’s minister of petroleum and natural resources.

EBRD finances upgrade of Egypt’s Suez oil refinery - ENERGY EGYPT / OIL & GAS JOURNAL

May 25, 2018

The European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD) is providing a $200-million loan to state-owned Egyptian General Petroleum Corp. subsidiary Suez Oil Processing Co. (SOPC) for the upgrade of its 68,000-b/d refinery adjacent to Suez, Egypt, at the entrance of the Suez Canal.

ERBD funds will finance investments to modernize the refinery with technical updates to improve overall operational performance and energy efficiency at the site, as well as works to reduce the refinery’s carbon footprint, ERBD said.

Specifically, the proposed projects will increase flexibility of the plant’s crude intake and enable production of higher-quality, lower-sulfur fuels, ERBD said.

The refinery also will implement an extensive energy efficiency program that will reduce emissions of carbon dioxide equivalent by more than 295,000 tonnes/year and result in a savings of 300,000 Mw-hr of energy and 384,000 cu m of water annually, the international financial institution said.

SDX reports gas discovery in Egypt - OIL & GAS JOURNAL

HOUSTON, MAY/18/2018

SDX Energy Inc., London, expects to start production by year end from a natural gas discovery made by its Ibn Yunus 1X well at South Disouq, Egypt (OGJ Online, Feb. 21, 2018).

On test, the well flowed at a stabilized rate of 39.3 MMscfd on a 32/64-in. choke, limited by surface facilities.

The well, drilled to 9,608 ft, encountered 100.8 ft of net natural gas pay in the Upper Miocene Abu Madi formation. Average porosity of the pay section is 28.5%.

SDX operates the South Disouq concession with a 55% interest. IPR Energy Resources Ltd., Irving, Tex., holds 45%.

Cypriot gas dispute colors Turkey-EU summit - OIL & GAS JOURNAL

HOUSTON, Mar. 27 2018

A meeting in Varna, Bulgaria, between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and leaders of the European Union ended with repeated EU condemnation of Turkey’s recent interference with oil and gas exploration off Cyprus.

“The European Union stands united behind the Republic of Cyprus,” declared Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, in Varna.

Just days before the summit, the EU had said it “strongly condemns Turkey’s continued illegal actions in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea and underlines its full solidarity with Cyprus and Greece.”

Egypt’s West Kalabsha concession receives high-density 3D survey - OIL & GAS JOURNAL

HOUSTON, FEB/08/2018
Tayvis Dunnahoe

CGG and Ardiseis, subsidiary of Arabian Geophysical & Surveying Co. (Argas), have delivered 2,000 sq km of what the partners refer to as reservoir characterization-ready broadband seismic data on the West-Kalbsha survey on behalf of Apache Corp. in Egypt’s Western Desert.

The ultradense survey represents 72 million traces/sq km, which is 2-3 times denser that any survey acquired to date. In what the companies are calling a step-change, CGG deblended the data through an algorithm. The company’s CleanSweep and EmphaSeis acquired low-frequency-rich broadband data starting from 1.5 hz, which is free of the harmonic noise contamination that is known for hindering broadband high-productivity Vibroseis acquisition.

Lebanon approves offshore awards for two blocks - OIL & GAS JOURNAL

HOUSTON, DEC/19/2017
Tayvis Dunnahoe

Lebanon’s Cabinet has approved the recently awarded licenses for Blocks 4 and 9 that lie in northern and southern areas offshore (OGJ Online, Oct. 23, 2017). Energy Minister Cesar Abi Khalil was quoted in The Daily Star saying drilling could begin as early as 2019.

Three companies are included in the consortium exploring both blocks: Total SA, Eni SPA, and OAO Novatek. Lebanon’s offshore is prospective for oil and gas, but the future of its development remains unknown (OGJ Online, July 7, 2017). Despite the announcement, the energy ministry has not released technical details of contracts nor has it disclosed the amount of the bids.

Lebanon sets 80% local worker requirement - OIL & GAS JOURNAL

DEC/05/2017HOUSTON

Lebanon will require that the workforce of its prospective oil and gas industry be 80% Lebanese.

Energy Minister Cesar Abi Khalil said in a news conference in Beirut that the requirement is part of legislation to be submitted soon to the Cabinet, according to Lebanese press reports.

The country in October concluded its first offshore licensing round after nearly 4 years of delay caused by political conflicts and a vacancy in the presidency.

The round drew bids from two of five blocks on offer from a consortium of Total SA, Eni SPA, and Novatek (OGJ Online, Oct. 13, 2017).

Eni looks to Crete to further East Mediterranean exploration - OIL & GAS JOURNAL

HOUSTON, Oct. 9 2017
Tayvis Dunnahoe
OGJ Exploration Editor

Italy’s Eni SPA is eyeing acreage near Crete as Greece works toward opening its offshore to oil and gas development. According to Greece’s Kathimerini web site, Eni is taking the likely step from its foothold on the neighboring Cypriot market to expand its scope in the southeastern Mediterranean and the Greek market.

The company is expected to face strong competition with the consortium of Hellenic Petroleum, Total SA, and Edison considering the same area for development. Competition will strengthen Greece’s negotiating position ahead of signing concession contracts (OGJ, Aug. 27, 2017, p. 34).

Turkey backs Iraq on oil after Kurdish vote - OIL & GAS JOURNAL

HOUSTON, Sept. 28, 2017

The government of Turkey said it will deal exclusively with the Iraqi government on oil exports after voters in the semiautonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq supported independence in a controversial referendum.

Assurance from Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim of support for Baghdad followed threats before the vote to close the pipeline that carries crude oil from Iraqi Kurdistan across Turkey to Ceyhan on the Mediterranean.

About 72% of eligible voters participated in the Sept. 25 referendum, which supported negotiations leading to separation from Iraq by nearly 93%.

Yildirim told Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi in a Sept. 28 telephone conversation that Turkey would deal only with Iraq on exports and that Iraq had “support of his country for all decisions,” according to press reports.

Israeli Petroleum Commission approves Karish field development plan - OIL & GAS JOURNAL / ENERGEAN OIL & GAS

HOUSTON, Aug. 30 2017
Tayvis Dunnahoe

Energean Oil & Gas SA is working to reach final investment decision before year end for its Karish and Tanin natural gas fields offshore Israel. Subsidiary Energean Israel expects to start gas production in 2020 from the fields’ combined 531 MMboe 2C resources, which include 2.7 tcf of gas and 41 MMboe of light hydrocarbon liquids (OGJ Online, Dec. 7, 2016).

The FDP, submitted in June, calls for three development wells on the Karish Main Development with a floating production, storage, and offloading vessel about 90 km offshore Israel (OGJ Online, June 20, 2017). Production capacity will be 400 MMcfd. The Karish development will require an estimated $1.3-1.5 billion.

Energean Israel owns 100% of Karish and Tanin fields, but comprises a 50-50 joint venture between Energean and Kerogen Capital.

Greece launches new tender - OIL & GAS JOURNAL

HOUSTON, Aug. 17 2017

Tayvis Dunnahoe

Greece’s Ministry of Environment and Energy has invited interested parties to submit bids within 90 days from the date of publication of its tender notice in the Official Journal of the European Union.

The tenders were published in the Greek gazette on Aug. 11. Yannis Bassias, director at Hellenic Hydrocarbons Resources Management SA (HHRM), told OGJ, “Although the Greek gazette published the tenders, the official 90-day competition period will start from the day the European gazette publishes the tenders, probably in September.” 

Hellenic advances turnaround at Elefsina refinery - OIL & GAS JOURNAL

HOUSTON, July 28 2017
Robert Brelsford

Hellenic Petroleum SA has decided to bring forward major planned maintenance at its 100,000-b/d Elefsina refinery in Elefsis, Greece, following an unexpected shutdown of the plant’s hydrogen production unit in early July.

Planned maintenance works at all of the refinery’s units originally scheduled to take place from late-September 2017 through March 2018 will now be carried out during the current shutdown period, Hellenic said.

IPR continues exploration program in Egypt - OIL & GAS JOURNAL

HOUSTON, June 5 2017
By OGJ editors

Irving, Tex., independent IPR Inc. reported continued drilling success and a series of Western Desert and Nile Delta, Egypt, discoveries through this year’s first 5 months.

IPR’s calendar year drilling program in Egypt budgeted for the drilling of 23 wells, making 2017 one of the most active years operationally for IPR since its 1993 acquisition of the Phillips Petroleum Western Desert assets.

The work program includes onshore exploration, appraisal, and development drilling, and workovers offshore in the Gulf of Suez.

Jordan refiner lets contract for facility upgrade - OIL GAS JOURNAL / HYDROCARBON PROCESSING

HOUSTON, 05/08/2017

By OGJ editors

Jordan Petroleum Refinery Co. Ltd. (JPRC), the sole refining company of Jordan, has let a contract to Honeywell UOP to facilitate a $1.6-billion expansion of its refinery at Zarqa, 35 km east of Amman.

The expansion will increase the capacity of the facility to 120,000 b/d and will allow JPRC to upgrade the quality of its product to meet Euro-V emissions specifications.

JPRC Chief Executive Officer Abdul Karim Alaween said the upgrade is vital as it “will help us meet the rising demand for fuel, which is growing at an average of 3% every year.”

Cyprus-talk restart lifts hope for gas line - OIL & GAS JOURNAL

HOUSTON, Apr. 12 2017
By OGJ editors

Prospects improved for construction of a natural gas pipeline between East Mediterranean fields and Turkey Apr. 11 when negotiations over the reunification of Cyprus resumed after a 54-day break.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader (Note: of Cyprus' largely secular Turkish Cypriot minority) Mustafa Akinci scheduled four meetings during the next month and a half but set no deadline for an agreement.