On Jan. 4, Lebanon's newly confirmed Cabinet approved two executive decrees related to oil and natural gas exploration in the country's Exclusive Economic Zone. Lebanon's oil and natural gas sector has been caught amid political gridlock for the past two years, while the country has fought to appoint a president and Cabinet . The approval will enable Lebanon, which has yet to launch any meaningful exploration efforts in its maritime territory, to begin exploring in the eastern Mediterranean . The eastern Mediterranean Sea has been a hotbed for natural gas exploration and the site of many important discoveries over the past decade, including Cyprus' Aphrodite, Israel's Leviathan and Egypt's Zohr natural gas fields. Lebanon has been trying to grab hold of its own successful field since 2010, when it first approved its Offshore Petroleum Resources Law.