Leviathan gas field | |
---|---|
Country | Israel |
Region | Eastern Mediterranean Sea |
Location | Levantine basin |
Blocks | Rachel & Amit |
Offshore/onshore | Offshore |
Coordinates | 33°10′04″N 33°37′02″E / 33.16778°N 33.61722°E |
Operator | Chevron Corporation |
Partners | Delek Drilling (45.33%) Ratio Oil Exploration (15%) Chevron Corporation (39.66%) |
Field history | |
Discovery | December 2010 |
Start of production | December 31, 2019 |
Production | |
Estimated gas in place | 35,000[1]×10 9 cu ft (990×10 9 m3) |
Recoverable gas | 22,000[1]×10 9 cu ft (620×10 9 m3) |
Producing formations | Tamar sands |
The Leviathan gas field is a large natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel,[2] 47 kilometres (29 mi) south-west of the Tamar gas field.[3] The gas field is roughly 130 kilometres (81 mi) west of Haifa in waters 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) deep in the Levantine basin, a rich hydrocarbon area in one of the largest offshore natural gas field finds.[4][5][6] According to some commentators, the gas find has the potential to change Israel's foreign relations with neighboring countries, including Turkey, and Egypt.[7] Together with the nearby Tamar gas field, the Leviathan field was seen as an opportunity for Israel to achieve energy independence in the Middle East.[8]
In 2017, Leviathan was estimated to hold enough gas to meet Israel's domestic needs for 40 years, having 22 trillion cubic feet in recoverable natural gas.[9][10][11] The field began commercial production of gas on 31 December 2019.[12] As of 2024, 90% of the field's production was being exported to Egypt and Jordan. [13]