Lebanon launched its second licensing round for eight offshore oil and gas blocks after two years of delay, according to the Lebanese Petroleum Administration.The closing date for the submission of applications is June 15, the agency said on its website. In December 2017, Lebanon granted its first offshore energy rights, allowing a group including Total SA, Eni SpA and Novatek PJSC to jointly explore energy blocks, including one in the zone also claimed by Israel. The government had approved the launch of the second round in April 2019 but it was later postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The U.S. is mediating between Lebanon and Israel, who are technically in a state of war, to resolve the dispute over some 860 square kilometers of waters.