Energy Voice: Oil and gas – in Bethlehem?

In these interesting times we may need to look outside our usual patch to keep our people busy through 2015. But Bethlehem? OK, not exactly Bethlehem, but perhaps not far away from that little town.

Israel just announced a major new gas discovery (reportedly 3.2 trillion cubic feet). While many of us were transfixed by the oil price, Israel was holding its first ever international oil and gas conference.

There used to be an Israeli joke that Moses had delivered the Jews to the only place in the Middle East with no oil or gas.

Times have changed; and we are not talking about olive oil. Israel has offshore gas, and lots of it. It also has significant oil infrastructure (the recently reported pipeline breach is fixed, but the remedial work will take many months). Like a number of other prospects, Israel is an emerging market with political issues.
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