Tamar Gas Marks New Era for Israel

First gas from fields off Israel's Mediterranean shores has started flowing, the first step towards what the nation hopes will be a path to energy security and the possibility of becoming an energy-exporter.

Gas from the Tamar field, located 90km off Israel's northern coast, commenced flowing via pipeline to an onshore terminal at Ashdod in southern Israel.

The Israeli prime minister remarked that the start of production at Tamar marked “an important day for the Israeli economy”.

“We have advanced the natural gas sector in Israel over the last decade, which will be good for the Israeli economy and for all Israelis,” commented Benjamin Netanyahu.

The project, which took four years to develop, is the largest privately funded infrastructure project ever undertaken in Israel at a cost of $3bn.

The Bank of Israel estimates that the Tamar field will contribute a percentage point of the country’s gross domestic product growth this year. The Tamar consortium, which includes, Noble Energy and Delek Energy, estimates that he new gas supplies will save Israel's imported oil dependent economy $3.6bn per year.

The consortium is hoping to receive permission to export gas from Tamar as part of plans to develop the larger Leviathan field.

The Tzemach Committee, which was established by the government to examine the matter, recommended that Israel export up to 500bn cubic meters of its gas and save at least 450bcm for its domestic needs.

The timing of start up at Tamar at 4pm on Saturday, the Jewish day of rest, has generated a religious controversy amongst the ultra-Orthodox press. “While blatantly desecrating the Sabbath, first natural gas delivered from Tamar field," read the headlines in the Hamevaser newspaper.

Israeli resident Shimon Peres said today that it was been mistake to begin the flow of natural gas on a Saturday.