The LPA was established on the 4th of December 2012 by Decree number 7968. The LPA is an autonomous public institution mandated to plan, supervise and manage the upstream petroleum sector in Lebanon’s offshore across the petroleum activities’ value chain as described in the OPRL and its application decrees.

The LPA Board is composed of six members heading different departments and appointed for a six-year period. Each Board Member assumes the Presidency of the LPA on a rotational basis for a period of one year. After six years, the mandate of the Board Members is subject to one renewable, based on the Minister of Energy and Water’s proposal and a Cabinet’s decree.

The Board of Directors collectively assumes the tasks and powers stipulated in the Offshore Petroleum Resources Law (OPRL) and the LPA decree.

In preparation for the licensing process, the LPA drafts the legislative framework, supports the decision making process through the preparation of strategies and technical studies, and promotes the Lebanese petroleum potential through roadshows, workshops and the participation in local and international conferences.

The LPA undertakes all necessary preparations related to licensing rounds, including communicating with companies, managing the prequalification process, evaluating the offers, and providing recommendation to the Minister of Energy and Water regarding the award of blocks.

During the operational phase, the LPA follows with due diligence on the Right Holders’ activities. The LPA coordinates and organizes the oversight of petroleum activities by competent authorities, and reviews the various required submissions and plans. The LPA always ensures contractual compliance, and sound resource and HSE management while facilitating issuance of permits for the Right Holders to safeguard that petroleum activities are taking place in a timely and efficient manner. The LPA also participates in management committee meetings where the consortium periodically presents its planned activities.

The LPA provides periodical reports to the Minister of Energy and Water and to the Parliament, abiding by a participative approach throughout the development of the sector in the objective to share knowledge with the public at large and to promote an informed national dialogue.

As it is continuously building its capacities and those of national stakeholders, the LPA has several ongoing programmes conducted in cooperation with other governmental bodies and international organizations. The LPA is committed to abide by the highest levels of transparency so to promote and strengthen good governance in the petroleum sector. In this regard, the LPA exerts all the necessary efforts to ensure a successful, sustainable and inclusive development of the petroleum industry by setting strong pillars for the sector early on, and by actively promoting investments for the exploitation of hydrocarbons to benefit current and future generations.