Noa natural gas field offshore Ashkelon

Oil
Natural Gas
Leviathan Field
Tamar Field
Mari-B Field
Karish and Tanin Fields
Hermes
Zeus 1
Katlan
Gas for Israel and Export
Pipeline to Europe
Threats to Exports
Regional Cooperation
Gas From Gaza
Boundary Dispute with Lebanon
Israel Signs Biggest Gas Deal
Exporting to Cyprus

Oil

In 1947, Israel began exploring for oil in the Heletz Moshav in southern Israel. On September 26, 1955, “Black gold” was discovered, and full production began in 1960.

Israel subsequently captured Egyptian oil fields in the Sinai during the 1967 War, but Egypt prevented Israel from using the Suez Canal. In 1968, Israel and Iran formed a joint venture, the Eilat Ashkelon Pipeline Co., to operate three pipelines linking Eilat to Ashkelon and Ashkelon to the refineries in Ashdod and Haifa. Oil began to flow to Haifa on August 2, 1968.

Thirty years later, following the fall of the Shah of Iran, Israel took over the company and, subsequently, shortened the distance between refineries by establishing a direct pipeline from Ashkelon to Haifa.

One of the major concessions Israel made when it signed its peace agreement with Egypt was giving up the fields in southern Sinai. The Alma oil field, discovered and developed by Israel, was the country’s largest single energy source, supplying half its energy needs. Israel, which estimated the value of untapped reserves in the Alma field at $100 billion, projected that continued development there would make the country energy self-sufficient by 1990.

Instead of becoming independent, Israel became dependent on other countries. As part of the peace negotiations, Egypt agreed to supply Israel with oil. This was critical because Israel’s main oil supplier, Iran, broke relations with Israel following the Islamic revolution in 1979. Due to poor regional relations with its neighbors, Israel does not share any international oil pipelines.

Oil was discovered in the Golan Heights in 2015. Today, more than 470 oil wells have been drilled in Israel. Nevertheless, by 2012, most of Israel’s crude oil imports came via tanker vessels from Russia and Azerbaijan.

While not a significant oil producer, Israel is the largest consumer of petroleum in the eastern Mediterranean. Total Israeli oil consumption averaged 246,000 barrels per day (bbl/d) from 2000 to 2011, ranging from a low of 233,000 bbl/d in 2005 to a high of 263,000 bbl/d in 2011. In addition, Israel was the region’s second-largest natural gas consumer in 2011. Unlike Israel’s petroleum consumption—which Israel meets with imports—much of the natural gas consumed in Israel came from domestic sources.

Israel exports small quantities of refined products, but with domestic production virtually nonexistent, imported oil meets nearly 99% of the country's total oil demand. Over 80 percent of those imports are crude oil. Israeli exports of refined products increased from approximately 66,000 barrels per day (bbl/d) in 2000 to 84,000 bbl/d in 2010, with residual and distillate fuel oil accounting for roughly half of the exports.

In May 2016, it was announced that the Hatrurim oil and gas exploration license in the Dead Sea had uncovered an oil reservoir containing 7-11 million barrels of oil. The Hatrurim license area spans 94 square kilometers in the Dead Sea region, and initial exploratory drilling commenced in 1995. Israel Opportunity Energy Resources LP was awarded 25% of the Hatrurim license.

After the U.S. and others sanctioned Russia because it invaded Ukraine, Israel’s reliance on other sources of oil grew. In 2024, Israel was the sixth-biggest oil buyer from Azerbaijan, with sales totaling $713 million. Due to political sensitivity, policy analyst Fuad Shahbazov stated that Azerbaijan’s exports are routed through several foreign trading companies, providing plausible deniability about the crude oil’s destination.

Natural Gas

Historically, Israel has imported natural gas from Egypt, most recently through the Arish-Ashkelon pipeline. However, Egypt suspended supplies in 2011 after the unrest. Before its closure, the el-Arish-Ashlekon pipeline (Egypt-Israel) met up to 40% of Israel’s demand.

In 2009, a large natural gas reservoir of 311 billion cubic meters (BCM) was discovered off Israel’s coast. In the following years, an even larger reservoir was found (600 BCM). The Leviathan reservoir was the largest natural gas find in two decades. Additional discoveries produced enough natural gas to meet Israel’s needs for 200 years.

In January 2014, the Oil & Gas Journal estimated Israel’s proven oil reserves at 11.5 million barrels of oil equivalent, equivalent to 10.1 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas. While neither figure ranks Israel in the top 40 globally, these totals are significantly higher than they were a few years ago.

While Israel was once almost entirely dependent on oil and gas imports, it has now gained the capacity to become more independent by shifting more of its economy (70% of electricity production in 2018) to natural gas. In 2012, Israel had around 780 billion cubic meters of natural gas. In 2023, the estimate was 1,087 BCM. This 40% increase in reserves results from additional discoveries and updated reservoir estimates. Israel has, for the first time, become an energy exporter, creating the potential to generate significant profits and revenue and to improve Israel’s relations with its neighbors.

In 2023, the BDO economic consulting firm calculated that natural gas production had saved Israel more than $87 billion over the past decade. BDO also found that using natural gas reduced the intensity of carbon dioxide emissions from electricity by 32% and further reduced air pollution by 32%.

Amir Foster, CEO of the Israel Natural Gas Association, told the Jerusalem Post, “The next stage in the development of the Israeli energy economy, which will ensure energy security for decades to come, will be created through the continued development of local production capabilities and export infrastructure and will allow Israel to break through beyond the regional arena and become an important international energy supplier.”

Leviathan Field

The most significant find in offshore Israel is the Leviathan field, located approximately 80 miles off the coast in water depths exceeding 5,000 feet. Assessments of the Leviathan field indicated that as much as 19 Tcf of recoverable natural gas is present.

The Israeli government approved the development of the Leviathan natural gas field on June 2, 2016. The field contains an estimated 22 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves. The project was expected to cost at least $5 billion, according to a Noble Energy spokesperson, which owns a 39.7% stake in the oil field. Other owners include Delek Drilling and Avner Oil Exploration, subsidiaries of Israel’s Delek Group, and Israel’s Ratio Oil. An initial investment of $ 3.75 billion in the development of Leviathan was approved on February 23, 2017.

Gas began being used in Israel in December 2019. In 2023, 1.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day were transported for the supply and sale to Israel, Egypt, and Jordan.

According to Yosef Abramowitz, the gas rig was originally planned to be 125 km (78 miles) offshore to reduce the likelihood of a dangerous spill caused by an accident, earthquake, or terrorist attack that could seep into the desalination plants that provide Israel’s drinking water. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, decided to locate the Leviathan closer to shore, thereby making it more vulnerable to a missile attack by Hezbollah.

Tamar Field

Israel began commercial natural gas production from the Tamar field (located offshore, near Haifa) in March 2013. The natural gas produced from the Tamar field travels through existing onshore facilities at Ashdod via a pipeline that connects to the Mari-B development site. Plans are moving forward for a floating LNG project that will draw natural gas from the Tamar field (with estimated discoveries of 10 Tcf) and the nearby Dalit field, and will produce approximately 3 million tons of LNG per year (144 billion cubic feet per year) as soon as 2017. Later, it was discovered that the Tamar Southwest exploration well, located 8 miles southwest of the Tamar Field, and the Tamar Southwest field may contain more than 500 billion cubic feet of natural gas in place.

An independent research firm, Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc., stated in July 2017 that the Tamar field contains 11.2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, with an additional 14.6 million barrels of condensate. If true, this represents a 13% increase from previous estimates of the field’s potential yield. By 2025, the field provided 60-70% of Israel’s electricity each year.

Azerbaijan’s national energy company, SOCAR, finalized its purchase of a 10% stake in the Tamar gas field in July 2025. Chevron owns 25% of the Tamar field, and the UAE’s Mudabala owns an 11% stake.

Mari-B Field

The Mari-B field—discovered in 2000—provided the first significant volumes of domestically produced natural gas to Israel’s markets, but in 2012, production plummeted as the field entered its final stages of depletion. In prior years, the Mari-B field met up to 40 percent of Israel’s natural gas demand. Israel’s total production volumes in 2012 reached more than 150 billion cubic feet (Bcf), after being as low as 350 million cubic feet (MMcf) as recently as 2002. Natural gas consumption in Israel also grew in recent years, from an annual average of 350 MMcf between 2000 and 2002 to a peak of 129 Bcf in 2010.

Karish and Tanin Fields

Greece’s Energean Oil & Gas signed a $1.27 billion deal with Morgan Stanley and other banks in March 2018 to finance the development of Israel’s Karish and Tanin fields. The two unexplored fields hold an estimated 2.4 trillion cubic feet of contingent gas and equal potential reserves. In May 2022, the hydrocarbon exploration and production company Energean discovered additional recoverable gas, which could enhance the profitability of the Karish-Tanin development.

On October 27, 2022, the day before the Maritime Border Deal with Lebanon was signed, Energean began production at the Karish field, which has a capacity of 8 BCM.

In February 2023, Israel made its first shipment of crude oil from the Karish field to Europe via a tanker.

Hermes Field

In May and October 2022, the Energean exploration and production company announced discoveries of 7-15 BCM of recoverable natural gas in the Hermes field.

Zeus 1

In November 2022, Energean announced a new commercial natural gas discovery of 13 BCM between the Karish and Tanin fields.

Katlan

In 2023, Energean discovered the Katlan (also known as Olympus) deposit between the Karish and Tanin fields. It is estimated to hold 68 BCM of natural gas. Energean CEO Mathios Rigas said, “We believe this discovery will open new opportunities for Israeli gas supplies in both local and regional markets.”

In July 2023, the company announced that it would invest approximately $1.2 billion to develop the project, with gas expected to begin flowing in 2027. Developing Katlan “will provide additional energy security and drive sustainable development, both in Israel and the broader region,” said Rigas

Gas for Israel and Export

In early 2013, Israel began receiving LNG cargoes under a short-term contract (two loads per month) to bridge the gap created by the loss of Egyptian volumes, the swift decline in Mari-B production, and the start-up of the Tamar field in April of that year. The contract could deliver between 50 and 70 Bcf per year to Israel, but delivered volumes hinge on how quickly operators can bring the Tamar field up to peak capacity.

On December 9, 2014, the European Union announced its support for a feasibility study on shipping Israeli oil and natural gas through Greek waters to Europe. Representatives from the EU said an “EastMed Pipeline” “could play an important role in diversifying our resources.” The study was necessary because the pipeline may need to route through extremely deep waters between Cyprus and the Greek island of Crete.

In January 2014, the Israeli government approved plans to supply the Palestinian Authority with natural gas, and Noble Energy signed an agreement with two Jordanian companies to supply them with natural gas from the Tamar field.

On September 27, 2016, the Jordan Electric Power Company finalized negotiations for Israel’s Leviathan consortium to supply it with $10 billion in natural gas until 2031. Under this deal, Israel will become Jordan’s largest gas supplier, providing the Kingdom with an estimated 45 million cubic meters of gas from the Leviathan field.

In February 2018, U.S.-based Noble Energy Inc. and Israeli Delek Drilling LP announced $15 billion in deals to sell natural gas from the Leviathan and Tamar fields to Egypt over the next 10 years. Noble, Delek, and their other partners in Leviathan and Tamar signed two agreements with Egypt’s Dolphinus Holdings to sell 64 billion cubic meters of natural gas in the country.

The deals with Jordan and Egypt, signed despite protests by Israel’s opponents in both countries, were important because they strengthened ties with Israel’s two peace partners.

Even before these deals were implemented, the Israeli Ministry of National Infrastructures, Energy, and Water Resources reported record revenue from oil and gas fees and royalties in August 2016. Oil and natural gas sales royalties, as well as oil production royalties and other various fees and activities, provided NIS 411 million in revenue for the Israeli government during the first half of the year, an increase of 12.8% over the previous period’s numbers. Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz stated in February 2017 that Israel earned $800 million exporting natural gas over the previous year.

Gas began flowing from Israel to Egypt in January 2020. In January 2021, Chevron and its partners in the Leviathan and Tamar fields agreed to invest approximately $235 million to expand existing pipelines and construct a new pipeline between Ashdod and Ashkelon to export fuel to Egypt.

Egyptian Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Tarek El Molla visited Jerusalem for the first time on February 21, 2021. They agreed to connect Israel’s Leviathan gas field to the Egyptian Liquefied Natural Gas company plants via an offshore pipeline. The agreement would make it easier for Israel to export liquefied gas to Europe.

In 2022, Israel agreed to increase its natural gas exports to Egypt. Some of that gas was expected to be transferred to Lebanon. “There’s a big energy crisis in Lebanon,” Energy Minister Karine Elharrar told Israel’s Army Radio. Nobody can go and inspect the molecules and check whether they originally came from Israel or Egypt.

Pipeline to Europe

In December 2018, Israel, Cyprus, Greece, and Italy, with the backing of the EU, reached an agreement to construct the world’s longest underwater pipeline (more than 1,300 miles) for the export of gas from Israel to Cyprus and from there to Greece, Crete, and Italy.

Minister of National Infrastructures, Energy and Water Resources Yuval Steinitz said, “The agreement that we have drawn up will enable Israel to become an energy supplier to Europe, and that has both economic and political importance. This will be the first time ever that Israel has joined with the EU on any major infrastructure project.”

The United States, which originally supported the East Med pipeline project, withdrew its endorsement in 2022 due to concerns about its economic feasibility, environmental impact, and opposition from Turkey. The three countries instead focused on constructing an undersea electricity cable.

The EuroAsia Interconnector project was inaugurated in 2022. It will connect the Cypriot, Greek, and Israeli power grids through the world’s longest submarine power cable—1,200 kilometers (746 miles)—placed nearly 10,000 feet below the ocean surface. The cable will be capable of producing 2,000 megawatts of electricity.

Threats to Exports

In 2018, two developments threatened to reduce Israel’s ability to export its natural gas. The first was the victory of Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Turkish elections. In recent years, Erdogan has been increasingly hostile toward Israel, and he may object to Israeli companies supplying natural gas to Turkey. Even if he did, the gas companies may not want to incur the risk. According to Oded Eran and Elai Rettig, this would eliminate one of Israel’s largest potential markets as “Turkey is the most profitable export destination for Israeli natural gas.” In addition, they note that “Turkey constitutes a comfortable route for the transport of Israeli gas to Europe. The cost of laying the pipeline to the southern coast of Turkey is far less than the alternative of building a direct pipeline via Greece or building a liquefaction facility in Israel.” It is also possible, they argue, that Turkey would “pay more for Israeli gas than it is currently paying for Russian gas, given its interest in reducing its dependence on Russia.”

The second potential threat to Israel’s natural gas industry is that gas reservoirs may be found off the coast of Egypt. Eran and Rettig say, “The Israeli economy cannot itself absorb a large enough volume of gas in the coming years to justify the capital investment needed for the development of the Leviathan field if the gas export deal with Egypt does not materialize.” This, they add, would leave “Israel without sufficient backup in the event of a prolonged disruption of gas supply from the Tamar field.”

Regional Cooperation

In a significant development, Chevron announced plans in July 2020 to acquire Noble Energy. Dore Gold called this “a revolutionary development” because “historically, none of the American oil companies that held shares in the Arabian-American Oil Company (Aramco) would do business with Israel.”

In September 2020, Egypt, Israel, Greece, Cyprus, Italy, and Jordan established the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF). The Palestinian Authority is also part of the forum. France has applied, and the United States and European Union requested observer status.

For Israel, the forum “brings regional cooperation with Arab and European countries, the first of its kind in history, with contracts to export (Israeli) gas to Jordan and Egypt worth $30 billion, and that is just the beginning,” according to Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the European Union joined the United States in banning Russian oil and gas imports. The EU countries, which relied on Russia for its energy supplies, desperately needed a new source; hence, in June 2022, Israel, Egypt, and the EU signed a trilateral natural gas deal to enable Israel to send its natural gas through pipelines to Egyptian ports, where it can be exported to Europe. “This will contribute to our energy security,” said Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president.

In 2025, Israel signed a gas exploration license agreement with Azerbaijan. A consortium of the Azeri state company Socar, BP Plc, and Israel’s NewMed Energy LP will get the right to explore Cluster I, an area covering over 650 square miles in the northern part of Israel’s economic waters near the Leviathan field. Each company will hold approximately one-third of the rights in each license. Socar bought a 10% stake in the Tamar gas field earlier in the year. This partnership aims to bolster Israel’s energy security and expand its influence in the regional energy market.

Gas From Gaza

Since the discovery of natural gas 30 kilometers (19 miles) west of the Gaza coast by British Gas in 2000, Israel has not permitted the development of the Gaza Marine field on security grounds. In October 2022, Al-Monitor reported that Egypt held secret talks with Israel for several months, culminating in an agreement under which the two countries would supervise the extraction process. Some of the gas will be transferred to Egypt, but Israel will export most of it to Europe through Greece and Cyprus. The PA will receive revenue from the exports. Israel, the publication said, agreed after pressure from European countries seeking to find alternatives to Russian gas.

Boundary Dispute with Lebanon

Israeli gas exploration has provoked a conflict with Lebanon, which insists that some of the activity is being conducted in its territorial waters. Since 2020, the United States has been mediating talks between the two countries to demarcate their borders. Both sides were deadlocked over where to draw the line in the sea.

Meanwhile, in a provocative action, Hezbollah launched three drones at Israel’s Karish offshore Mediterranean gas rig on July 2, 2022. They were all shot down. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had threatened to “cut off the hand of anyone who tries to infringe on Lebanese sovereignty” based on his insistence that Israeli gas exploration is being conducted in an area belonging to Lebanon.

On October 11, 2022, an agreement was announced to settle the maritime border dispute. The timing and the substance of the agreement were controversial. Signed just three weeks before the Israeli election, the deal was challenged by some critics for its legitimacy and legality. Some also argued Israel made too many concessions, giving up the Qana field and parts of what they believe should be Israel’s territorial waters. While the government of Yair Lapid made the case that the agreement would avoid war with Hezbollah, his opponents saw this as giving in to terrorist blackmail. IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kohavi and the heads of the Mossad and Shin Bet, however, supported the deal. Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar, for example, said it creates a rift between Iran and Hezbollah.

Israel was also motivated by an American guarantee to protect Israeli interests should Lebanon or Hezbollah violate the agreement, but opponents of the deal questioned the value of such a vague assurance and recalled past U.S. promises that were not kept.

Former peace negotiator Dennis Ross said the deal benefited Israel because it forced Lebanon to recognize the border and undercut Nasrallah’s determination to prevent any agreement that granted Israel legitimacy. Also important, Ross noted, is that eliminating the threat of attacks on its oil rigs will allow Israel to export gas to Europe just when it needs it to offset the loss of Russian supplies due to the war in Ukraine.

According to the Washington Institute’s Hanin Ghaddar, Israel will receive the most immediate benefits because the agreement allowed production at the Karish gas field to begin immediately. Furthermore, Hezbollah is viewed as having recognized Israel and American diplomacy by endorsing the agreement. Nasrallah said, “We do not have any problem with the agreement with Israel.” Ghaddar noted that it was the first time he had used the word “Israel” instead of “occupied Palestine” or the “enemy state.”

According to at least one poll, 47% of the Israeli public supported the agreement.

The Israeli cabinet endorsed the deal on October 27, 2022, following the Supreme Court's ruling that it did not require Knesset approval. Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Lebanese President Michel Aoun signed it later that day, and delegations from both countries followed suit at the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) headquarters in Naquora. This was unexpected as the Lebanese had earlier insisted they would not be in the same room with the Israelis.

Israel Signs Biggest Gas Deal

Israel’s Leviathan natural gas field has signed the largest export agreement in the nation’s history—worth up to $35 billion—to supply about 130 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas to Egypt through 2040, NewMed announced. The deal aims to ease Egypt’s energy crisis, as its domestic production has fallen by more than 42% since 2021, forcing it to rely on expensive liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports.

NewMed CEO Yossi Abu called the pipeline deal “dramatically better” than LNG, estimating it will save Egypt billions of dollars. Analysts put LNG’s cost at $13.5 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), compared to $7.75 for Israeli gas. The agreement, reportedly at least 20% higher in price than previous contracts, comes after exports were temporarily halted during the June Israel-Iran war.

Phase one will deliver 20 bcm starting in early 2026, after additional pipelines are connected. Phase two—following a $2.4 billion expansion of Leviathan and a new transmission line via Nitzana—will supply the remaining 110 bcm by 2029, raising exports to 12 bcm annually. If fully implemented, the deal could eliminate Egypt’s need for LNG imports.

Leviathan, operated by Chevron, holds about 600 bcm in reserves and already supplies gas to both Egypt and Jordan. The expansion should sustain production for domestic use and regional exports through 2064.

After announcing the deal, however, the Israeli government still had not approved it three months later. Energy Minister Eli Cohen said his refusal to sign the deal prompted U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright to cancel his trip to Israel. Cohen’s office released a statement saying the U.S. was “exerting a great deal of pressure,” but that the agreement would not be completed “until Israeli interests are secured and a fair price for the Israeli market is agreed upon.” The decision risked angering both the Trump administration and Egypt.

Despite the ongoing tension, on December 17, 2025, Israel signed the largest natural gas deal in its history with Egypt, worth NIS 112 billion. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the agreement will generate an estimated NIS 58 billion in state revenues, strengthen Israel’s economy, and cement its status as a regional energy powerhouse. Announced alongside Energy and Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen, the deal includes NIS 15–16 billion in infrastructure investments, job creation, and long-term gas exports, likely from the Leviathan reservoir through 2040. Netanyahu framed the agreement as enhancing regional stability and promising fair gas prices for Israeli consumers, while Cohen emphasized its strategic, economic, and diplomatic significance. Reports indicate that President Trump pushed Netanyahu on finalizing the deal, viewing it as a means to deepen Israel–Egypt interdependence and potentially facilitate high-level diplomatic engagement, even as parallel discussions address broader regional security issues.

Exporting to Cyprus

Greek energy exploration and production company Energean plc, which operates the Karish, Tanin, and Katlan offshore fields, has signed an MoU with Cyprus’s Cyfield Group to supply natural gas for a new power plant near Larnaca. If approved by the Cypriot government, Cyprus would become the third country to import Israeli gas, after Egypt and Jordan.

Energean plans to finance and build an underwater pipeline linking the Karish platform directly to Cyprus at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars. The project’s long-term revenues are also expected to reach several hundred million dollars.

The deal still requires government approval, as it could challenge Cyprus’s state gas monopoly, DEFA, which currently has exclusive import rights.

Israel’s Energy Minister Eli Cohen welcomed the plan, calling Israeli gas a “strategic asset” that would strengthen Israel’s regional and European ties while generating billions in revenue. Energean CEO Mathios Rigas and Cyfield CEO George Chrysochos both emphasized the project’s potential to reduce Cyprus’s energy isolation and boost regional cooperation.

Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration.
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Israel Science & Technology: Oil & Natural Gas