The Israeli partners of Noble Energy Inc. (NBL) in the offshore Leviathan field on Wednesday distanced themselves from comments made by the U.S. company about its estimated oil potential. Noble in a conference call with investors said it has increased its estimate to 1.5 billion barrels of oil in the field, with an additional 1.5 billion barrels of oil in a nearby Cyprus field it also controls with Israeli partners. Noble’s Israeli partners–Delek Drilling Ltd. Partnership (DEDR.L.TV), Ratio Oil Exploration Ltd. Partnership (RATI.L.TV), Avner Oil Exploration Ltd. Partnership (AVNR.L.TV) and Alon Natural Gas Exploration Ltd. (ALGS.TV)–said the new estimates weren’t in accordance with Israeli reporting regulations. The requirements about how energy companies can publish reserve estimates differ between the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, which often has more stringent requirements than the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, under which Houston-based Noble […]