10/29/2015
In a meeting with the CEO of Italian energy giant Eni in Jerusalem on Thursday, National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Minister Yuval Steinitz suggested that the firm consider investing in two yet-to-be-developed Israeli gas reservoirs, Karish and Tanin.
Steinitz, along with ministry director-general Shaul Meridor, met with Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi, to discuss various opportunities available in the Israeli gas sector. While encouraging the Italian company to think about investing in Karish and Tanin, the minister also encouraged the firm to weigh the idea of exploring for new reservoirs in Israel's economic waters, his office said.
Assuming Israel's disputed natural gas outline – a long negotiated settlement between the government and the country's gas companies – is implemented, the Delek Group and Noble Energy will be required to sell the Karish and Tanin reservoirs to a third party.
While Eni is not yet involved in the Israeli gas sector, the company is no stranger to Eastern Mediterranean hydrocarbons.
Last month, the Italian firm announced that it had identified the Mediterranean’s largest known gas field off the Egyptian coast, the 849-billion-cubic-meter) Zohr field. If the estimates prove correct, the field would be significantly larger than the approximately 621 b.cu.m. Leviathan, Israel’s biggest.
During an exclusive interview with The Jerusalem Post on Monday, Steinitz suggested that the upcoming Eni visit might be “further testimony that international energy companies are interested in Israel” as part of their overall interest in the eastern Mediterranean basin.
“It’s quite clear that there might be very close cooperation between Israel, Egypt, Cyprus, Jordan and, maybe also in the future, Greece and Turkey,” he said. “If you want to be part of it, you have to be involved also somehow in Israel.”
At Thursday's meeting, Meridor delivered a presentation for Eni company executives indicating the estimated potential for discovery of large natural gas fields in Israel's economic waters, as well as the advantages of regional cooperation, the Energy Ministry said. The meeting participants discussed the regional gas markets, as well as possibilities to connect gas discoveries in Israel, Egypt and Cyprus, for potential joint export to the Western European market, the ministry added.
Steinitz, along with ministry director-general Shaul Meridor, met with Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi, to discuss various opportunities available in the Israeli gas sector. While encouraging the Italian company to think about investing in Karish and Tanin, the minister also encouraged the firm to weigh the idea of exploring for new reservoirs in Israel's economic waters, his office said.
Assuming Israel's disputed natural gas outline – a long negotiated settlement between the government and the country's gas companies – is implemented, the Delek Group and Noble Energy will be required to sell the Karish and Tanin reservoirs to a third party.
While Eni is not yet involved in the Israeli gas sector, the company is no stranger to Eastern Mediterranean hydrocarbons.
Last month, the Italian firm announced that it had identified the Mediterranean’s largest known gas field off the Egyptian coast, the 849-billion-cubic-meter) Zohr field. If the estimates prove correct, the field would be significantly larger than the approximately 621 b.cu.m. Leviathan, Israel’s biggest.
During an exclusive interview with The Jerusalem Post on Monday, Steinitz suggested that the upcoming Eni visit might be “further testimony that international energy companies are interested in Israel” as part of their overall interest in the eastern Mediterranean basin.
“It’s quite clear that there might be very close cooperation between Israel, Egypt, Cyprus, Jordan and, maybe also in the future, Greece and Turkey,” he said. “If you want to be part of it, you have to be involved also somehow in Israel.”
At Thursday's meeting, Meridor delivered a presentation for Eni company executives indicating the estimated potential for discovery of large natural gas fields in Israel's economic waters, as well as the advantages of regional cooperation, the Energy Ministry said. The meeting participants discussed the regional gas markets, as well as possibilities to connect gas discoveries in Israel, Egypt and Cyprus, for potential joint export to the Western European market, the ministry added.
Source: http://www.jpost.com/Business-and-Innovation/Steinitz-encourages-Eni-to-invest-in-Karish-and-Tanin-430394
