Israel has denied a Lebanese allegation it is encroaching on a disputed Mediterranean natural gas field, playing down on June 6 any prospect of conflict over the dispute.
After months of deadlock in U.S.-mediated talks on maritime delineation, Beirut on June 5 warned against any activity in the disputed area, responding to the arrival of a vessel operated by London-based Energean to produce gas for Israel.
Israel says the field in question is within its exclusive economic zone, not in disputed waters.
“This [Lebanese account] is very far from reality,” Israeli Energy Minister Karin Elharrar told Tel Aviv radio 103 FM, adding that there was “unequivocally no” encroachment by Israel.
Lebanon is home to the heavily armed, Iran-backed Hezbollah group, which has fought numerous wars with Israel.
Hezbollah has previously warned Israel against drilling in the disputed area until the issue is resolved, and said the group would take action if it did so.
Asked about the prospect of escalation, Elharrar said: “We are not there at all. Really, such is the disconnect [between rhetoric and reality] that I do not believe they would take action.”
But she added: “Israel is making preparations [and] I recommend that no one try to surprise Israel.”
There was no immediate comment from the U.S., which in 2000 began mediating indirect talks between the two sides to settle a long-running dispute that has obstructed energy exploration in the eastern Mediterranean.
Energean said its floating production storage and offloading vessel arrived on June 5 at the Karish field, about 80 km (50 miles) west of the city of Haifa, in Israel’s exclusive economic zone.
The company said it planned to bring it online in the third quarter.
Lebanon says its border cuts into the sea at an angle farther south and Israel’s claim runs farther north, creating a triangle of disputed waters.
Last year, Beirut expanded its claim by around 1,400 sq km (540 sq miles), enlarging the area disputed with Israel.
Lebanon has yet to respond to an undisclosed proposal a U.S. envoy made early this year to revive the stalled talks. Elharrar voiced hope Beirut would come back to the table.
“Ultimately, there are gains to be made from negotiating, and they can get a gas field of their own,” she said.
Recommended Reading
Global Partners Buys Four Liquid Energy Terminals from Gulf Oil
2024-04-10 - Global Partners initially set out to buy five terminals from Gulf Oil but the purchase of a terminal in Portland was abandoned after antitrust concerns were raised by the FTC and the Maine attorney general.
ONEOK CEO: ‘Huge Competitive Advantage’ to Upping Permian NGL Capacity
2024-03-27 - ONEOK is getting deeper into refined products and adding new crude pipelines through an $18.8 billion acquisition of Magellan Midstream. But the Tulsa company aims to capitalize on NGL output growth with expansion projects in the Permian and Rockies.
Infrastructure Company Savage Acquires Houston’s Texon
2024-05-03 - Texon, a midstream service provider, will continue operations under its legacy brand.
TotalEnergies, Sinopec to Develop SAF Unit in China
2024-03-26 - TotalEnergies and Sinopec’s production unit will have the capacity to produce 230,000 tons of sustainable aviation fuel per year.
FTC OKs Exxon-Pioneer Merger, but Bars Sheffield from Exxon’s Board
2024-05-02 - A megamerger between Exxon Mobil and Pioneer Natural Resources can proceed, but Pioneer Chairman Scott Sheffield is out, the Federal Trade Commission says.