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Leviathan gas field

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Leviathan gas field
CountryLebanon, Israel and Cyprus
RegionEastern Mediterranean Sea
LocationLevantine basin
BlockRachel licence
Offshore/onshoreoffshore
OperatorNoble Energy
PartnersAvner Oil and Gas (22.67%)
Delek Drilling (22.67%)
Ratio Oil Exploration (15%)
Noble Energy (39.66%)
Field history
DiscoveryDecember 2010
Start of production2017 (expected)
Production
Producing formationsTamar sands

The Leviathan gas field is a large natural gas field located in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel, 47 kilometres (29 mi) south-west of the Tamar gas field.[1] The gas field is located roughly 130 kilometres (81 mi) west of Haifa in waters 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) deep in the Levantine basin, a rich hydrocarbon area in one of the world's larger offshore gas finds of the past decade.[2][3][4] According to some commentators, the gas find has the potential to change Israel's foreign relations with neighboring countries Turkey, and Egypt.[5] Together with the nearby Tamar gas field, the Leviathan field is seen as an opportunity for Israel to become a major energy player in the Middle East.[6]

History

Boundaries of the Levant Basin, or Levantine Basin (US EIA)

In July, 2010, Noble Energy announced that seismic studies indicated there was a 50% chance of the Leviathan field containing natural gas, with the potential reserve size being estimated at 16 trillion cubic feet (450 billion cubic metres).[7] The initial exploration well, Leviathan 1, was drilled to a depth of 5,170 metres (16,960 ft) and the discovery was announced on December 30, 2010.[8] The cost of drilling the exploration well was $92.5 million.[9] The well was drilled by Noble's Homer Ferrington rig.[10]

The second stage of drilling of the Leviathan 1 well was intended to reach a depth of 7,200 metres (23,600 ft), which would include an additional natural gas reserve and potentially 600 million barrels of oil.[11] While the gas discovery at -5170m was made in the Tamar sands layer which was already known to contain gas, the additional oil and gas potential exists in layers that have not been explored in the Levant basin. Noble has twice failed to reach the deeper layers due to technical challenges with drilling to the extreme depths involved. However, during drilling towards the intended target some gas was detected and as of 2012 Noble still had plans to explore those layers.[12]

The Leviathan gas field was the largest gas field in the Mediterranean Sea until the August 2015 discovery of the Zohr gas field off the coast of Egypt, only 6 km from Cyprus's Block 11.[13][14][15] Leviathan is the largest discovery in the history of Noble Energy. Noble Energy operates Leviathan with a 39.66% working interest; Delek Drilling holds 22.67%; Avner Oil Exploration holds 22.67%; and Ratio Oil Exploration holds the remaining 15%.[3] In February 2014, Woodside Energy agreed to buy a 25% stake of the Leviathan field for up to US$2.55 billion.[16] It was announced on 21 May 2014 that Woodside Energy pulled out of an agreement to take a stake worth up to $2.7 billion in Israel's flagship Leviathan gas project, as the group developing the field shifted focus to regional markets.

In the summer of 2014 Netherland Sewall & Associates (NSAI) made an upward revision on the amount of gas reserves, giving a 2P value of 621 BCM. The expected year of production was stated to be 2017.[17] In April, 2015, the Israel Ministry of Energy reported that it was working with NSAI and the Leviathan partners to understand the discrepancy between the NSAI revised estimate and the estimate provided by other analyses provided to the ministry, indicated a best estimate of only 16.5 tcf (470 BCM). [18]

On 19 October 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to allow major concessions for Gazprom to develop the Leviathan reserves.[19]

Rights dispute

The existence of the Leviathan gas fields poses several challenges to states in that area of the Eastern Mediterranean, in terms of cooperation between them, as well as for the wider Mediterranean energy context.[20] After discovery of the Leviathan gas fields in 2010, Lebanon argued that the field extends into Lebanese waters. Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri stated that Israel is "ignoring the fact that according to the maps the deposit extends into Lebanese waters," Agence France-Presse reported on June 9.[21] Israeli Minister of National Infrastructures Uzi Landau responded "We will not hesitate to use our force and strength to protect not only the rule of law but the international maritime law," in an interview.[21] In August 2010, Lebanon submitted to the United Nations its official view regarding the maritime border, indicating that it considered the Tamar and Leviathan gas fields to be outside Lebanese territory (though it indicated other prospective fields in the region may be within Lebanese territory). The US expressed support for the Lebanon proposal.[22]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Noble Energy Announces Operational Update at Leviathan Offshore Israel" (Press release). Noble Energy. 29 November 2010. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  2. ^ "Gas Field Confirmed Off Coast of Israel". The New York Times. 30 December 2010. Retrieved 31 December 2010.
  3. ^ a b "Noble CEO: Leviathan is largest gas find in our history". Jerusalem Post. 29 December 2010. Retrieved 31 December 2010.
  4. ^ "Israel has enough gas 'to become exporter'". France 24. AFP. 29 December 2010. Archived from the original on 16 October 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2012. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ Bozdas, Jacob (15 April 2014). "Israel in talks with Egypt, Turkey on major gas export deals". Turkish Daily News. (subscription required). Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  6. ^ Reed, John (6 November 2013). "Israel set to become major gas exporter". Financial Times. (subscription required). Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  7. ^ Koren, Hilal (26 September 2010). "Leviathan may be three times larger than Tamar". Globes. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  8. ^ "Noble Energy announces significant discovery at Leviathan offshore Israel". Offshore Energy Today. 30 December 2010. Retrieved 31 December 2010.
  9. ^ Ratio Oil Exploration Limited Partnership Annual Report 2010, p.74. (Hebrew version)
  10. ^ Schmidt, Kathrine (2 May 2012). "Leviathan well hits snag". Upstream Online. NHST Media Group. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  11. ^ Leviathan partners to raise gas reserves estimate Globes, 22 April 12 13:22, Hillel Koren
  12. ^ "Noble Energy Provides Update On Leviathan Deep Well" (Press release). Noble Energy. 2 May 2012. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
  13. ^ "Italy's Eni finds 'supergiant' natural gas field off Egypt". Associated Press. 30 August 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  14. ^ "Deal signed with Total for further exploration". Cyprus Mail. 18 March 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  15. ^ "Total reportedly looking to extend license". Cyprus Mail. 14 October 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  16. ^ "Israel takes step towards becoming a gas exporter". Reuters. 7 February 2014. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  17. ^ Scheer, Steven; Goodman, David (13 July 2014). "Israel's Leviathan gas reserves estimate raised by 16 pct". Thomson Reuters. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  18. ^ New report sees 20% less gas reserves in Leviathan Globes, 3 June 2015, Hedy Cohen
  19. ^ "Putin and Netanyahu to strike deal on Levianthan gas field". The Australian. 19 October 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  20. ^ Farah, Paolo Davide; Tremolada, Riccardo (2015). "Offshore Natural Gas Resources in the Eastern Mediterranean in the Relations to the European Union: A Legal Perspective through the Lenses of MedReg". JOURNAL OF WORLD ENERGY LAW AND BUSINESS. 8 (6). Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  21. ^ a b Jonathan Ferziger and David Wainer (24 June 2010). "Landau Says Israel Could Use Force to Shield Gas Find". businessweek. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
  22. ^ Barak Ravid (10 July 2011). "U.S. Lebanon on maritime border dispute with Israel". Haaretz. Retrieved 30 January 2012.

Articles

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