Oct 11 (Reuters) - Exploratory drilling in Lebanon's maritime Block 9 has not stopped despite several days of clashes along the land border with Israel, Lebanon's energy minister told Reuters on Wednesday.
"The team is working. The work did not stop," Walid Fayad said by phone. "It's in everyone's interest to continue as long as there are signs of stability."
Hezbollah and Palestinian factions in southern Lebanon have traded fire with the Israeli military since Sunday.
The consortium drilling in Block 9 is led by France's TotalEnergies and includes Italian oil giant ENI and state-owned QatarEnergy. The TransOcean Barents began drilling in late August and was set to have preliminary results by the end of this month or in November.
Fayad said he and the consortium had not yet discussed contingency plans, including evacuations for staff aboard the rig, that could be implemented if a wider conflict breaks out.
A source at the Lebanese Petroleum Administration said the exploratory drilling was proceeding as planned and the conflict in the south had not affected operations.
The maritime boundary between Lebanon and Israel was drawn last year following U.S.-mediated talks. The United States said it was exploring the possibility of resolving the long-standing land border dispute between the two countries as well. (Reporting by Maya Gebeily Editing by Mark Potter)
