ISRAEL, LEBANON: Politicians trade threats over right to gas reserves

Huge natural gas reserves claimed by Israel and Lebanon could spark the next round of fighting between the two warring states.

On Thursday, Israeli infrastructure minister Uzi Landau told Bloomberg news that Israel "will not hesitate to use force" to protect its investment in three fields, the largest of which, the Leviathan, is estimated to hold 16 trillion cubic feet of gas worth billions of dollars.

Lebanese parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri struck back, telling the Lebanese daily An-Nahar in an interview published Friday that "the best way to respond to Israeli threats is to quickly take action" by approving a proposal for oil and gas exploration off the coast of Lebanon.

Lebanon recently accused Israel of attempting to siphon natural gas from reserves off its northern coast that Lebanon says extend under territory rightfully controlled by Lebanon. Israel has denied this claim, maintaining the the field falls between Israel and Cyprus, with which it has reportedly worked out a deal to pay royalties in exchange for drilling.

Legally speaking, the field lies beyond the territorial waters of either country, which only extend 12 nautical miles (about 14 statute miles) offshore. Countries can declare an exclusive economic zone up to 200 nautical miles from shore, but neither country appears to have done so. One Israeli expert told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz that because the oil is under the Israeli continental shelf, there is no need to declare a stake.

Disputes like this are usually either worked out between the two countries or settled in international arbitration. But as enemy states, Lebanon and Israel could not come to such an agreement, and until Lebanon comes up with enough cash or investors to do its own oil and gas exploration, there isn't much it can do.

Which is why Berri is pushing the proposal for offshore exploration to counter Israel's claim to fields, which has also yielded preliminary evidence of oil.

“Lebanon must take immediate action to defend its financial, political, economic and sovereign rights,” Berri told parliament earlier this month. “Israel is racing to make the case a fait accompli and was quick to present itself as an oil emirate, ignoring the fact that, according to the maps, the deposit extends into Lebanese waters.”

The U.S. and Israeli companies that hold rights to the Leviathan and two other drilling sites plan to start fuel production by 2012. Israel is hoping the reserves will make it energy independent and transform its economy, while Lebanon sees the possibility of oil and gas wealth as a way to pay off its $50-billion debt.

– Meris Lutz in Beirut and Batsheva Sobelman in Jerusalem

Photo: An offshore platform for extracting natural gas off the coast of Spain. Credit: aherrero via Wikimedia Commons

Comments

[J.E.]

Looking at the maps, it is quite clear this territory belongs to Israel. The latest theme of setting water usage rights is by setting a line that continues the land border (this is how the usages borders were set between Israel and Egypt, a little south to the disputed area). Lebanon's claim, of setting the border line in an arbitrary direction that suites their wishes, seems to be a spiking attempt of someone who has little to loose.

[Joe]

Wow! Really? On what basis do you say it has "no legal right"? Based on a Hezbollah ministers statement? Have you consulted maps? Reviewed international maritime law? Are you an expert in international law? Are you a marine geologist? I can assure you that both Israel and the United States have studied this carefully. Do you dispute that Israel and its US partner discovered the gas? As usual, Arabs, and their loser useful-idiots in the West just can't deal with the reality that Israel is a huge success story. Economically, morally, militarily and technologically, as opposed to the primitive, backwards, hateful 12th century mentality that surrounds it.

[Ronald Richards]

I am so happy finally the Israeli's have some of that oil that the Arabs have most of.

[ABG]

You know, unenclosed, three can play this game. You've got a fun, neato pattern yourself. Labelling everything done by Israel as "illegal" and then reading between the lines of mentioning how G-d has ordained the Jewish right to do whatever it is you accuse Israel of doing illegally. Talk about baloney.

[sam]

NASSER YOU MUST HAVE LIVED A VERY SHELTERED LIFE OR HAVE BEEN BRAIN WASHER LOOK WHO REARLY CAUSES WORLD PROBLEMS PROMOTES HATE USES HUMAN BOMBS ALL IN THE NAME OF PEACE NOT THE JEWISH PEOPLE SO WHO CAN IT BE

[unenclosed]

Yes, Joe, I do see a pattern here: Israel making assertions of possession to resources it doesn't have a legal right to claim. You're absolutely right that this is a metaphor for the conflict, but I'd suggest that you're more likely to hear claims coming from Israel and its supporters that because G-d gave us the holy land of Israel, He must have also granted us the resources to support ourselves, so those oil and gas reserves must "belong" to the Jews -- meaning the state of Israel. That's all a bunch of baloney, but supporters of Israel never seem too concerned with such niceties as logic, history or law.

[Joe]

Notice a pattern here? Israel invests, researches, discovers, develops and builds... as the Arabs sit back, whine, make claims and threats, just as soon as someting of value is presented. This gas dispute is a metaphor for the entire Arab-Israeli conflict. Soon we will be hearing about natural gas "settlments", "occupying" Arab water, and the LA Times and others will play along with this nonsense.

[Bloodyscot]

Weather gas comes from well drilled in Israel, Cyprus or Lebanon it all comes from same gas field, a sharing agreement is best option but impossible with them at war. If no agreement to then who can drill most wells the fastest get the most gas but without agreement Israel is unlikely to let Lebanon drill any well but Israeli wells would also be easy targets.
Current sanctions on Iran would make it hard for them to help Lebanon but China or Russia could step up to do drilling, even Turkey could get in on this.
There is also the problem of Israeli southern gas field could be link with Gaza gas field which Gaza is current not allows to develop since part of money would go to Hamas.
A peace deal is need quickly but a 2 state solution based on Saudi/US Roadmap could start civil war in Israel, where as delay would start arms race and major war later in ME.

[Joe]

If there are no agreement or peace, these gas field can be blown up by single scuba diver or small torpedo, better to settle ownership before start drilling for sake of fishes in Mediterranean!

[mark]

Nasser,
Your blind hatred of jews is funny. Just think how a state smaller then San Bernardino County can cause all Arab nations to be filled with Murder and Hatred in your Hearts.Just think Nasser if it wasn`t for those Jews who would you blame for your plight? Dosen`t the profit Mohaamad put kindness and love in your heart?

[S_toren]

Hey Nasser! You are full of gas. But ya know what. You can keep it all to yourself.

[nasser tarrish]

There goes the israelis once again stealing land and now natural gas and oil deposits dont they know when to stop or do they just want to start more wars?
Thats right they are jewish all they know how to do is manuipulate the world especially the american politicians and take whats not rightfully and lawfully theirs..