Benyamin Ben Eliezer, the Israeli Minister of National Infrastructures, said Noble Energy Co. discovered a natural gas well off the Israeli Mediterranean coast that may significantly reduce its dependence on gas imports. He described the discovery as historic. Yaakov Mimran, the oil official, said it is premature to talk about quantities, but if the initial results are confirmed, the discovery off the coast of Haifa in northern Israel might meet the domestic demand for about 15 years. Noble Energy Co. had announced the discovery of more than three trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The company is part of a Consortium that has been searching for natural gas for five years in the Tamar-1 site 90 kilometers west of the port of Haifa in northern Israel. Ramadan Abul Ela, an energy expert, said it is premature to judge from the initial data, pointing out that Israel is attempting to promote achievements prior to the legislative elections scheduled for next February. He added that the discovery cannot be linked to the Egyptian gas exports to Israel at the present stage. A senior oil expert said the new discovery needs at least four years before it reaches the production stage.
