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Lebanon to decide on participation of Russian companies in its gas projects in December

The Lebanese prime minister stressed that Russian companies "have a great chance to win" the tender

MOSCOW, September 13. /TASS/. The decision on participation of Russian companies in gas production projects in Lebanon will be taken in December 2017, the country’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri said in an interview with the Rossiya 24 TV channel.

Earlier this week, Hariri held talks in Moscow with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

Hariri said that all applications for participation in the tender for gas production in Lebanon will be approved on October 12.

"Then it will take two months to study all applications for participation in the tender, and in December there will be results. I hope this will be Christmas to Lebanon and Russia," he said.

The Lebanese prime minister stressed that Russian companies "have a great chance to win" this tender. "We are trying to do everything possible to provide them with all the conditions for this," he added.

According to the documents prepared for the talks of the Russian and Lebanese Prime Ministers, Gazprom is exploring the Levantine basin for new promising gas-bearing areas, including offshore zone of Lebanon. If it finds attractive areas it is ready to consider the possibility of participating in international tenders, organized by Lebanon to obtain the right to geological exploration and development of marine blocks.

Another Russian company Novatek plans to participate in a tender for the right to develop a bloc in the offshore zone. The block is partially located in the water area, which is disputed by Lebanon and Israel. Options of participation in this project are being worked out.

Russian oil major Lukoil is repeatedly to qualify for participation in the tender for the development of offshore exploration blocks. That tender was frozen but in January 2017 it was renewed.