French energy and petroleum company TotalEnergies signed a fixed contract with U.S. drilling contractor Transocean to use its drilling rig for the first well in Lebanon’s Block 9.
“The semi-submersible drilling rig ‘Transocean Barents’ will sail towards Lebanon upon the end of its current operations in the British North Sea,” TotalEnergies said in a statement on Tuesday.
Lebanon and Israel finalized a U.S.-brokered maritime border demarcation deal in October 2022, bringing both countries closer to oil and gas exploration in their waters after years of negotiations.
Qatar signed an agreement with Lebanon to join the consortium of TotalEnergies and Italy’s Eni for oil and gas exploration in Block 4 and Block 9 in the Lebanese territorial waters in January.
Earlier this year, TotalEnergies said excavation in Block 9 will begin in September this year.