The outgoing Ministry of National Infrastructures director general: Egyptian option is no longer on the agenda.
“A situation in which there is only supplier of natural gas is very serious. It is unacceptable for Yam Thetis to be the sole supplier of natural gas. We must quickly reach an agreement with British Gas to supply gas from its major fields offshore from Gaza,” outgoing Ministry of National Infrastructures director general Yair Maayan told “Globes” today. Maayan, who was recently appointed social economic cabinet secretary, said the natural gas pipeline should be declared a national project.
Maayan revealed that the Egyptian option was no longer on the agenda, but declined to give details. Egypt offered to supply natural gas to Israel through Joseph (Yossi) Maiman, but negotiations have made no progress in the past two years. The Egyptians claimed, through Maiman, that the uncertainty about Israel’s natural gas pipeline was the reason for the lack of progress.
Maayan said several years would elapse before British Gas and the Palestinian Authority would be able to sell Israel natural gas, which is why an agreement was needed immediately.
Israel is the main customer for the large offshore natural gas fields, which are uneconomical without Israeli contracts.
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on April 14, 2003