Exploration for oil and gas in Block 4 off the coast of Beirut will take about 55 days from the start date in December, the head of the Lebanese Petroleum Administration said.

“It will take around 55 days for the [drill]ship to explore the entire of Block 4 to determine if there are hydrocarbons under the sea,” LPA Chairman Walid Nasr said.

Drill equipment arrived in Beirut in late September, ahead of the country’s first round of exploration for hydrocarbons offshore by a consortium of three companies led by French energy giant Total. 

Depending on whether hydrocarbons are found or not, Total will drill an appraisal well to test the quality and quantity of the find, which will answer the question of whether it is  commercially viable. In the case of a commercial discovery, the consortium will present the government with a development plan which must be approved before it can move towards production. Total previously told LOGI there was a 20-25 percent chance of hitting a commercially viable natural gas discovery on the first well. The consortium is set to drill a second well in southern Block 9 next year.