Exploring the Hydrocarbon potential of the Eastern Mediterranean through Integrated Science Seminar on Oct. 5, 16
You are cordially invited to attend a Seminar entitled:
“Exploring the Hydrocarbon potential of the Eastern Mediterranean through Integrated Science”
Given by
Dr. Nicolas Hawie, Beicip-Franlab/ IFP Energies Nouvelles Group, France
Date: Wednesday, Oct 5, 2016
Location: Frem Auditorium
Time: 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Abstract
Since the discoveries of the largest 2009-2010 deepwater natural gas accumulations in the world
in the southern Levant Basin (i.e. Tamar, Leviathan –Noble Energy), the Eastern Mediterranean region
witnessed a major rush of interest from the scientific and industrial community. Since then, more than 60
trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas have been discovered with major finds offshore Cyprus (Aphrodite
4,1 Tcf-Noble Energy- 2011) and Egypt (Zohr 30 Tcf-Eni- 2016).
Following the continuous scientific achievements by IFP Energies Nouvelles, University of Pierre
et Marie Curie, RWTH Aachen University as well as through industrial works conducted by Beicip-
Franlab/IFP Group and major International Oil Companies, new Oil and Gas Plays have been identified
for the un-explored Lebanese offshore and are yet to be proven. In the meantime, several regional and
international conferences related to the exploration of the Eastern Mediterranean gathered major Oil and
Gas players around round tables and launched in-depth technical discussions prior to the official opening
of bidding rounds.
Subsequent consultation with international companies led to the voting by the Lebanese
Government of the Offshore Petroleum Resources Law 132 24/8/2010 and appointed the Lebanese
Petroleum Administration in 2012 to deal with offshore Oil and Gas activities (strategic planning,
engineering, geosciences, legal, economic and financial as well as QHSE). Since then, main decrees
related to the offshore block delineation, the tender protocol and model exploration and production agreement
(EPA) are still pending due to political conflicts.
Through this communication we expose an overview of the history of Oil and Gas exploration in
the region and more specifically in Lebanon that dates back to the early 1930s. We then underline the
breakthrough in integrated scientific works (geology, geomorphology, geophysics, engineering) and new
technologies (acquisition, processing and software) that led to this major shift from what was known as an
unattractive hydrocarbon province to one of the most successful frontier sectors in the recent history.
Finally, we discuss the perspectives of the multi-disciplinary scientific and industrial work to be
achieved in the years to come in order to shed light on the need for further hydrocarbon exploration derisking
offshore and onshore Lebanon before kicking off with a first discovery!