The supply of natural gas from Egypt was cut off completely after Tuesday's bombing of the Egyptian pipeline to Jordan, said Jordanian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Khaled Tukan. The Egyptian gas pipeline provides Jordan with around 100 million cubic meters of natural gas per day, Tukan said. This is the sixth time the pipeline has been attacked. The gas line, which carries natural gas to Israel and Jordan, exploded at dawn this morning 25 kilometers southwest of Arish, becoming the sixth attack on the pipeline since February 5. There is a 2004 agreement between Egypt and Jordan to export gas for 15 years. According to the contract, Egypt must supply 240 million cubic feet of gas per day to the Hashemite Kingdom (2.4 billion cubic meters per year). This amount provides Jordan with 80 percent of its electricity needs, the remainder of which is produced by other fuels. The two countries agreed in 2010 to raise this quantity to 300 million cubic feet per day (3.3 billion annual cubic meters), but the agreement has yet to be signed. Tukan pointed out in previous statements that attacks on the gas pipeline may compel Jordan to seek other energy sources but stressed that Jordan will continue to use Egyptian gas to meet its needs. Until 2014 there is no substitute available for Jordan other than Egyptian gas, Tukan said. However, after this stage there will be a transition to natural gas, but this transition will require 30 to 36 months of implementation between 2016 and 2017. The Jordanian public suffers a U.S. $5 million loss each day as a result of the pipeline explosion, particularly those working in the industrial and diesel field, the Jordanian authorities claim.
