The energy group Energean announced on Wednesday that it had begun production of natural gas from the offshore Karish field, on the eve of the expected signing of an agreement delineating the maritime border between Israel and Lebanon.
“The gas is produced at the Karish field (…) and the flow of gas is gradually increasing,” said in a statement sent to AFP the company Energean, which hopes to increase annual production to 6.5 billion m3 of natural gas in the short term, then eventually to 8 billion m3.
“We have delivered a landmark project that brings competition to the Israeli gas market, strengthens the security of energy supply in the Eastern Mediterranean and brings affordable, clean energy that will replace coal-fired power generation,” said in
a statement the CEO of the London-listed company, Mathios Rigas.
The Israeli government had given the company the final go-ahead on Tuesday to begin production at this field, located in the eastern Mediterranean and mentioned in the agreement on the demarcation of the maritime border between Lebanon and Israel, two neighboring countries officially in a state of war.
“Gas production in Karish will begin as planned when all technical conditions are met,” said Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, whose government is expected to officially endorse the border agreement with Lebanon on Thursday morning, before a signing in the afternoon in Naqoura, on Lebanese soil.
Under the agreement, negotiated by the United States and with the participation of France, the Karish offshore field is located entirely in Israeli waters.
Lebanon for its part will have full rights to explore and exploit the Qana field, located further north-east, part of which lies in Israeli territorial waters. But “Israel will be paid” by the firm operating Cana “for its rights to any deposits”, according to the text.
