NEW DELHI: The operators of
Israel‘s Tamar natural gas field have announced plans to expand production at the offshore site.
Chevron, the field operator, stated that the move will increase Tamar’s production capacity to up to 1.6 billion cubic feet per day, up from the current 1 billion cubic feet.
This “reflects Chevron’s ongoing commitment to partnering with the State of Israel to continue development of its energy resources for the benefit of domestic and regional natural gas markets,” said Jeff Ewing, Managing Director of Chevron’s Eastern Mediterranean Business Unit.
“Both phases of the Tamar expansion are scheduled for completion in 2025,” Ewing said.
The expansion includes reinstating the existing compressors at the onshore terminal in Ashdod and investing in a third pipeline between the field and the platform.
Tamar Petroleum, another partner in the project, confirmed that the new investment will amount to approximately $24 million.
This expansion is expected to not only benefit Israel but also provide energy to Egypt and Jordan.
Israel had suspended production at the Tamar gas field off its southern coast after the Hamas brutal October 7 attack that triggered a full-fledged war in the Gaza Strip.
Israel became a major regional gas supplier with the start of production at the Tamar field a decade ago, which was followed by several other gas developments.
Tamar’s production rose by 18% in 2022 to 10.25 billion cubic metres (bcm), according to government data.
Chevron owns a 25% stake in Tamar, while Isramco holds 28.75%, the United Arab Emirates’ Mubadala Petroleum 22%, Tamar Petroleum 16.75%, Dor Gas 4% and Everest owns 3.5%.
(With Reuters input)