On the 26th of September 2019, the LPA took part in the Oil and Gas Day organised within the framework of the Beirut Energy Forum. The Oil and Gas Day evolved around three main pillars. The first one addressed the East Med’s emerging role as a new gas player and the strategic importance of regional collaboration. The Minister of Energy and Water HE Nada Boustani Khoury spoke about the importance of regional and international collaborations in the oil and gas sector and discussed the electricity sector, gas uses and potential economic benefits stemming from the early gasification of the sector. Mr. Walid Nasr – Acting Chairman of the LPA and Head of the Strategic Planning Unit described the developments ahead of drilling activities in December 2019 in block 4 and the 2nd Offshore Licensing Round’s preparations, while Mr. Pablo Valverde Outreach and Regional Director at the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) presented best practices in terms of transparency measures with respect to the licensing procedure, contract transparency, beneficial ownership and systematic disclosures. 

The second part of the Oil and Gas Day evolved around the technical details pertinent to the upstream sector in Lebanon. To that end, the LPA represented by Mr. Wissam Chbat Head of the Geology and Geophysics Unit provided an overview of the geology related milestones achieved since 1926 to date, Mr. Assem Abou Ibrahim Head of the QHSE Unit presented the efforts that have been exerted to promote a sustainable development with a focus on health, safety, security and the environment and Mr. Ricardo Darre explained the timeline of notional upstream projects in the oil and gas sector. 

The Oil and Gas Day concluded with a session on the downstream sector provided by the Ministry of Energy and Water. 

The Beirut Economic Forum provided a platform to bring together decision makers, industry experts, academia and civil society organisations to discuss the most pressing energy related trends and also help promote the ongoing 2nd Offshore Licensing Round