Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Thursday inaugurated the country's first offshore oil and gas exploration, the President's office said in a statement.
 
The Tungsten Explorer vessel is operating in Block 4 of Lebanon's territorial waters for the drilling project.
 
"We are very happy to launch this project which has been a big dream for the Lebanese. This is a historic moment for Lebanon," the President said.
 
Meanwhile, Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said that this is a historic day for Lebanon as it gives the country an opportunity to start a phase where it can get over its economic and social difficulties.
 
The Tungsten Explorer vessel, built in 2013, carries the Bahamas flag and it can hold up to 200 people.
 
The ship is 238 meters long, 42 meters wide, and has a total weight of 68,486 tonnes. It can dig up to a depth of 12,000 meters.
 
The ship did drilling work in various countries while it was in Congo before moving to Egypt and from there to Lebanon, where it will stay for about two months before moving to Cyprus.