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Israel’s 300 Days of Sun No Help as Offshore Gas Eclipses Solar

Yosef Abramowitz, the developer of the Ketura solar field. After struggling to grow citrus trees on a stretch of parched desert, Israel’s Kibbutz Ketura instead devoted the land to harvesting the country’s most abundant resource: sunshine. Yet as the kibbutzniks seek to expand their solar installations, the government is proving almost as formidable an obstacle as the scorched soil ever was. “Israel has the technology and plenty of sunshine, but the government is completely ignoring the renewables industry,” said Yosef Abramowitz, a solar energy advocate who helped found Arava Power Co., the developer of the Ketura field. With more than 300 days of sunshine per year and a world-class tech sector, Israel should be a hotbed of solar, but it has lagged behind places such as cloudy Germany and the rainy Netherlands. That’s because in recent years, geologists have discovered huge gas fields just off Israel’s coast, making the […]

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Get gas flowing, Noble tells Israeli government

Noble Energy wants full Israeli support for an agreement that would open up key gas basins in the Mediterranean Sea. Photo by James Jones Jr./Shutterstock HOUSTON, Sept. 9 (UPI) — Parliamentary support for a framework agreement for Israeli oil and gas development is a welcome step, but full backing is needed, Noble Energy said. The Israel Antitrust Authority ruled that Israeli energy company Delek Group and its partners at Noble Energy, which has headquarters in Texas, control all of the gas reservoirs off the nation’s coast. A compromise deal from 2014 called on Noble and Delek to sell their stakes in the Karish and Tanin fields off the coast of Israel, which combine for an average 20.5 trillion cubic feet of reserves, in exchange for maintaining their holdings in Leviathan and Tamar, two of the largest gas fields in the Mediterranean Sea. On Monday, the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, […]

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Inside Israel’s Bid to Derail Iran Pact

JERUSALEM—In early August, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood in front of 22 Democratic U.S. lawmakers. He closed the door and instructed an aide to clear his schedule for the afternoon. There was nothing more important, he told the members of Congress, than answering their questions on the Iranian nuclear deal, however long it took. For the next two hours, the prime minister worked the room, according to many of the lawmakers present. His props included a large white board on which he wrote their questions. At one point, he drew what he called a “nuclear gun” to underline his fears. Although Mr. Netanyahu didn’t explicitly tell them to vote against the deal, his feelings were clear. It would seriously jeopardize Israel’s security, he told them. “They weren’t twisting my arm but they were certainly trying to convince me,” said Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, a New Jersey Democrat, one […]

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Israeli Officials Concerned About Gas Discovery in Egypt

A worker from the Israeli gas-drilling Tamar platform in July. Israeli officials expressed concern that the discovery of an extensive gas field off the coast of Egypt could upend Israeli development of its energy resources. The Italian energy company Eni E 0.92 % SpA on Sunday announced the discovery of the largest gas field in the Mediterranean, threatening a deal between the Israeli government and developers that was based on expectations of substantial gas exports to Egypt. That deal already was bogged down in disagreements about regulation, pricing and profit-sharing that have delayed the start of production. “The discovery of the Egyptian gas field is a painful reminder that while Israel has been asleep at the wheel and delaying final approval of the gas deal and additional exploration, the world is changing before our very eyes with implications for export possibilities,” Israel’s Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said after Sunday’s […]

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Gas sales give lift to Israel’s Delek Group

Israeli energy company Delek Group expecting forward momentum through future strategic investments. File Photo by Maryam Rahmanian/UPI TEL AVIV, Israel, Aug. 31 (UPI) — After posting strong second-quarter results, the chief executive officer at Israeli energy company Delek said growth should continue through future investments. Delek, which operates in some of the largest natural gas fields in the Mediterranean Sea, said operating profit for the second quarter increased 69 percent to $69 million. Net income swung from a $152 million loss in the second quarter of 2014 to a $5.5 million gain, driven in large part from sales from the Tamar gas field off the Israeli coast. Members of the Israeli government moved in mid-August to clear the way for the full development of offshore natural gas reserves. The Israel Antitrust Authority had ruled that Delek Group and its partners at Noble Energy, which has headquarters in Texas, control […]

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Iran Deal Opens a Vitriolic Divide Among American Jews

Photo Representative Jerrold Nadler, Democrat of New York, in 2014. Mr. Nadler has announced his support for the nuclear accord with Iran. Credit Andrew Burton/Getty Images WASHINGTON — The attacks on Representative Jerrold Nadler, Democrat of New York, since he announced his support for the nuclear accord with Iran have been so vicious that the National Jewish Democratic Council and the Anti-Defamation League both felt compelled this week to publicly condemn Jewish voices of hate. On the other side, three Jewish Democrats in the House who oppose the deal released a joint statement denouncing “ad hominem attacks and threats” against not only supporters like Mr. Nadler but also Jewish opponents, who have been accused of “dual loyalties” and treason. This August recess has not produced the kind of fiery town hall-style meetings that greeted lawmakers in 2009 before their vote on the Affordable Care Act, but in one small […]

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Israel Misses Gas-Wealth Opportunities

The Tamar Israeli gas-drilling platform in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel. TEL AVIV—Israel couldn’t believe its luck when huge natural-gas deposits were found in its waters five years ago. There was hopeful talk of cementing regional peace with pipelines to energy-hungry neighbors, and of plentiful gas fueling a new economic boom. Instead, what happened since then has spotlighted how unprepared Israel was to deal with newfound energy riches even as it prides itself on being a modern, investor friendly economy. Political feuding and bureaucratic infighting have delayed for years the development of the biggest gas field and now are threatening Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fragile coalition government. No development work started so far on the Leviathan field, the largest in the Mediterranean and estimated to hold 22 trillion cubic feet of gas—enough to supply a country like Turkey for more than a decade. Amid uncertainty about […]

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Israel opening offshore gas doors

Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu praises vote that would clear the way toward full exploitation of nation’s offshore natural gas reserves. File Photo by UPI Photo/Debbie Hill. JERUSALEM, Aug. 17 (UPI) — An Israeli decision to exploit offshore natural gas reserves is an important milestone for the nation’s economy, the country’s prime minister said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed support after members of government cleared the way toward full development of offshore natural gas reserves. "We need to extract the gas from the sea," the prime minister said in a statement. "The gas will be extracted from the bottom of the sea and will reach Israeli citizens, Israeli industry and the Israeli economy – for the benefit of the citizens of Israel." The Israel Antitrust Authority had ruled that Israeli energy company Delek Group and its partners at Noble Energy, which has headquarters in Texas, control all of the […]

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Israel: Cabinet Approves Deal To Develop Leviathan Natural Gas Field

Israel’s Cabinet on Aug. 16 approved a deal with a U.S.-Israel consortium that would move forward development of the huge Leviathan natural gas field off Israel’s Mediterranean coast, officials said, Reuters reported. The deal still needs the approval of Israel’s parliament. Leviathan, with estimated reserves of 622 billion cubic meters, is slated to begin production in 2018 or 2019 and is expected to supply billions of dollars of natural gas to Egypt and Jordan in addition to supplying Israel. Stratfor provides global awareness and guidance to individuals, governments and businesses around the world. We use a unique, intel-based approach to analyze world affairs. Copyright © 2015 Stratfor Global Intelligence, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 221 West 6th Street Suite 400 – Austin, TX 78701, USA unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences | forward email

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple