The clock is ticking. The partners at Israel’s giant 22.3tcf Leviathan gas field, led by operator US major Chevron (39.66%) have given themselves until 30 November to meet certain conditions, or the much-vaunted, $35bn deal to send 130bcm of gas to Egypt could be off.
While missing that deadline may not signal the deal’s official cancelation, it also faces strong political headwinds. The coming weeks will determine whether the deal can be resuscitated though US efforts to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Energy Minister Eli Cohen into approving the partners’ gas permit application have so far fallen on deaf ears (MEES, 31 October). (CONTINUED - 1243 WORDS)
