UPDATE: Israel's Massive Natural Gas Find Confirmed
Noble Energy confirmed yesterday that the Leviathan natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea northwest of Haifa contains about 16 trillion cubic feet of gas worth about $45 billion. This amounts to the biggest deep-sea gas discovery on the planet in the past ten years.
In terms of numbers, this find (as we've discussed) has the potential to turn Israel into a net gas exporter. That would require a serious investment in infrastructure, but the odds of Israel eventually exporting gas have dramatically increased. There's a frenzy here to get in on the action in which some thoroughly bad behavior is being exhibited, and a contingent has sprung up demanding huge retroactive hikes to the taxes assessed on energy discoveries -- a move that has upset Noble enough to recruit Bill Clinton to give Bibi a talking-to. (Bibi remains "noncommittal.") We should be hearing too from Sheik Nasrallah, who is watching Israel's explorations with keen interest.
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Oct '10
Re: UPDATE: Israel's Massive Natural Gas Find Confirmed
Good news for Israel. But if the same thing happened in the US, would the Obama admin even rejoice at such findings?
Re: UPDATE: Israel's Massive Natural Gas Find Confirmed
Actually, with the new techniques for extracting gas from shale deposits, we have had just this sort of thing happen here; and there is not jubilation in DC or -- and this is perhaps most telling -- in the virtually bankrupt state of New York, which has banned production for the time being.
May '10
Re: UPDATE: Israel's Massive Natural Gas Find Confirmed
Good G_d, a Middle Eastern country that has large fossil fuel deposits, but is actually pro-West, and a democracy. Now that is a change for the better, let's hope there is more to come.
Jun '10
Re: UPDATE: Israel's Massive Natural Gas Find Confirmed
Israel, You deserve a break today. Have a Happy Meal and thank God for the blessing. Talk about leveling the playing field with your "neighbors".
Re: UPDATE: Israel's Massive Natural Gas Find Confirmed
Paul A. Rahe
Actually, with the new techniques for extracting gas from shale deposits, we have had just this sort of thing happen here; and there is not jubilation in DC or -- and this is perhaps most telling -- in the virtually bankrupt state of New York, which has banned production for the time being. · Dec 30 at 6:25am
Wow. I did not know that. Banned production? On what grounds?
Aug '10
Re: UPDATE: Israel's Massive Natural Gas Find Confirmed
There are specific movements afoot to avoid the use of fuel derived from shale oil. Robert Redford, Greenpeace, and others are actively working to stop the exploration and exploitation of natural resources. They are working to direct all efforts into wind power and solar power. Israel has it's share of greens trying the same.
We are working with Dr Berwick to schedule surgery in the future for those windy ,sunny days.
May '10
Re: UPDATE: Israel's Massive Natural Gas Find Confirmed
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
Wow. I did not know that. Banned production? On what grounds?
Protecting the environment, of course. If you listen to environmentalists long enough, you'll realize that they oppose all forms of energy. First coal must be eliminated because it's dirtier than oil, then oil must be eliminated because it's dirtier than natural gas, then gas must be eliminated in favor of wind turbines, then we are told that turbines kill birds,....
The enviro-nuts won't be satisfied until we're back in the Middle Ages, relying solely on human and animal muscle power. (And then they'll demand an end to the use of animals, naturally.)
May '10
Re: UPDATE: Israel's Massive Natural Gas Find Confirmed
Wonderful news for Israel, but how large would the field have to be for Thomas Friedman to start treating Israelis as human beings?
But perhaps more important than export revenue is the reduced dependency on hostile oil producing states.
Edited on Dec 30, 2010 at 10:25amNov '10
Re: UPDATE: Israel's Massive Natural Gas Find Confirmed
That is very good news indeed for Israel.
And, if the tree-huggers are successful in thwarting our development of our own natural gas resources, I think that that would be bad news for us. Reducing our dependency on oil and on coal seems to me like a net gain from both an environmental as well as a strategic standpoint.
I concur in Mr. Stinchfield's comment about the ultimate goal of the Greenies: they want something that cannot be had without condemning multitudes to poverty and truncated lives. (They, of course, will continue to bask in their luxurious and wasteful ways: e. g., Mr. Gore, our sometime vice-president.) Professor Codevilla was spot on with his description of our Ruling Class.
Aug '10
Re: UPDATE: Israel's Massive Natural Gas Find Confirmed
I can see the talking points now: Israel destroyed Palestine, now they're moving on to the environment which is the perfect stepping stone to ruining the planet ( with a little help from Texas, of course). Seriously, I have commented previously that I think the recent upswing in anti-Israel agitation (flotillas etc) has some connection to the diminished credibility of the Global Warming movement which was soaking up a lot of the energy of the professional protestors ( rather like we heard less about Globalisation when saving the planet was the low emission vehicle to promote an anti- capitalist agenda).No doubt Israel will apply it's scientific genius to maximizing it's return from this wonderful find and to hell with the begrudgers!
Sep '10
Re: UPDATE: Israel's Massive Natural Gas Find Confirmed
Paul Stinchfield
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
Wow. I did not know that. Banned production? On what grounds?
Protecting the environment, of course. If you listen to environmentalists long enough, you'll realize that they oppose all forms of energy. First coal must be eliminated because it's dirtier than oil, then oil must be eliminated because it's dirtier than natural gas, then gas must be eliminated in favor of wind turbines, then we are told that turbines kill birds,....
The enviro-nuts won't be satisfied until we're back in the Middle Ages, relying solely on human and animal muscle power. (And then they'll demand an end to the use of animals, naturally.) · Dec 30 at 10:15am
Harold Hamm agrees with you.
May '10
Re: UPDATE: Israel's Massive Natural Gas Find Confirmed
How do you say "I drink your milkshake" in Arabic? Oh, it's:
شرب اللبن الخاص
Aug '10
Re: UPDATE: Israel's Massive Natural Gas Find Confirmed
I look forward to seeing new companies spring up devoted to hardening offshore gas rigs against terrorist attack.
These things'll probably end up looking like James Bond villains' secret maritime hydro-lair.