Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte during a visit to Jerusalem on 4 September ratified the award of the East Palawan offshore exploration license to Israeli firm Ratio. An initial award was made in 2015 but signing was held up by three years due to a competing claim to the acreage. Private-sector firm Ratio has 10% of Israel’s 22tcf Leviathan gas field, the country’s largest discovery to-date which is due online at the end of 2019. It also holds a 70% stake in the Royee license which borders the Egyptian maritime border. Operator and 20% partner Italian firm Edison is considering relinquishing its rights in the field, Israeli press reported last month. Ratio has no current production but has a hotchpotch of foreign exploration assets: 25% of a block operated by US major ExxonMobil offshore Guyana, 20% in a block operated by London-based Tullow’s offshore Suriname and licenses offshore Malta and Ireland.