Political Risk consultant, with a focus on energy in #EastMed | Co-founder, Middle East Strategic Perspectives (@mestrate) | Associate Fellow @ifi_aub | PhD.
Dec 22, 2022 • 28 tweets • 17 min read
2022 in #EastMed - The year’s main energy developments wrapped up in a thread 🧵
🇮🇱 🇱🇧 Total and ENI signed a framework agreement with Israel on Nov. 14 which will pave the way for exploration activities in Lebanon’s Block 9.
🧵 Here are the main points of the agreement as published by the Israeli Energy Ministry (and as translated by Google):
1- Objective: determining the compensation mechanism to be paid to Israel for its rights in the [Qana-Sidon] reservoir. The agreement will enter into force upon signature and will remain in effect until a detailed agreement is signed.
Oct 12, 2022 • 5 tweets • 1 min read
🇱🇧 🇮🇱 I’m seeing a lot of criticism of the maritime border deal in Lebanon because it gives leeway to Israel on certain decisions regarding Qana (or other cross-border deposits that may be identified in the future).
But is this really surprising?
Israel is not giving up its sovereign rights. It simply accepted Lebanon alone would get to develop Qana *in return* for a compensation if it turns out that it extends into the Israeli EEZ.
Jun 10, 2022 • 7 tweets • 3 min read
Should borders be defined based on the presence (or not) of prospects?
The question should be raised because in the debate on the 🇱🇧/🇮🇱 maritime border dispute, some people appear to be equating gas fields with prospects.
#Karish for example is a gas field. Its presence has been established following drilling activity in 2013. It is being developed and if everything goes as planned, production is expected in Q3 2022.
Jun 7, 2022 • 12 tweets • 2 min read
The local politics behind the 🇱🇧vs🇮🇱 maritime border dispute mess.
👇 A thread 👇
A couple of months before the framework agreement for maritime border talks was announced, the President was looking into ways to bring the issue under his control since the Constitution grants the President the responsibility to negotiate international agreements (with the PM).
