French oil company Total Energies announced on Friday that it has received approval from the Lebanese government to be granted a new license for exploration off the country's coast. Total, which holds a 35% operating stake under the license, will begin three-dimensional geological surveys in the marine Block 8 area with its partners, Italian company Eni (35%) and Qatar Energy (30%). CEO Patrick Pouyan stated that the French company began searching for natural gas in Lebanon in late 2022 following the historic maritime border demarcation agreement between Lebanon and Israel, although the initial exploration campaign in a neighboring marine area was disappointing.
