Chevron Mediterranean Ltd. has suspended production from Tamar gas field in the southeastern Mediterranean due to violence stemming from the attack of Israel by Hamas over the weekend.
“Due to the situation, the security establishment ordered to temporarily stop the supply of natural gas from the Tamar reservoir, and the economy's energy needs will be met with other fuels,” the regulator said in an update Oct. 10.
In a situation assessment notice, the Director General of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, Kobi Blitstein, emphasized that the top priority is connecting the disconnected customers to electricity.
The 100-sq km Tamar reservoir lies 90 km west of Haifa about 5,000 m subsea. Natural gas is extracted through six production wells, which each produce 7.1-8.5 million cu m/day of gas. The natural gas flows through two 140-km pipelines to the Tamar platform where most of the gas processing takes place. Gas is then transmitted via pipeline to the onshore terminal in Ashdod, and into the Israeli market through the INGL national gas pipeline with a portion exported to Jordan and Egypt.
“Under the guidance of Minister Israel Katz, the Ministry is constantly working to ensure the functional continuity of the energy sector, in all its parts. We continue to closely monitor the events and prepare for all scenarios, in coordination with the relevant ministries and the various bodies,” Blitstein continued.
The Teva Treasures Administration, the Natural Gas Authority, the Fuel and Gas Administration in the Ministry, as well as the Water Authority, the Electricity Authority, the Nega Company, the Electric Company, the Natgaz Company, the 501 Company and Makoro participated in the assessment of the situation.
