Leviathan rig foundations reach Israel

Leviathan rig Photo: Noble Energy
Leviathan rig Photo: Noble Energy

The Leviathan partners said that the Leviathan project was advancing as planned and on schedule.

After a month-long trip from Texas to Israel, the foundations for the Jacket drilling platform for the Leviathan natural gas reservoir have reached their destination in Israel's territorial waters about 10 kilometers off Israel's shore. A campaign has been waged recently to move the platform further offshore on grounds of alleged environmental damage.

The foundation legs will be placed on the sea bottom in the next week and set in place with huge stakes. Underwater specialists will use a crane ship and other vessels in the work.

Minister of National Infrastructure, Energy, and Water Resources Dr. Yuval Steinitz says that the arrival of the Leviathan platform base marks "the beginning of the last stage in development of the reservoir, the largest natural resource ever discovered in Israel.

"This is cause for celebration in Israel, because development of Leviathan, slated for completion in a few months, will make a huge contribution to Israel for decades; put billions into the state treasury for education, health, and welfare; make it possible to close down the coal-fired power plants in Hadera and Ashkelon; ensure cleaner air for the coming generations; and serve as a critical tool through exporting some of the gas to Egypt, Jordan, and Europe," Steinitz asserted.

The Leviathan partners said that the Leviathan project was advancing as planned and on schedule. The entire project will be completed by the end of 2019, and gas will begin flowing to the Israeli economy and Jordan and Egypt, with whom Israel signed export agreements. Steinitz says that this "will strengthen Israel's status in the region and enable all of us to breath cleaner and healthier air."

The platform legs were put on a 180-meter barge, which crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 28 days, traveling a distance of 11,500 kilometers. The platform legs, which took 18 months to build, are 98 meters high and weigh 15,500 tons. They will be placed 10 kilometers from Israel's share at a depth of 86 meters by a special sea crane used in large-scale marine projects.

The legs are the first part of the platform to arrive in Israel. The upper (topside) part of the platform, which will arrive in the coming months, will contain the platform facilities and residences of the work team. After construction is completed, a series of running-in tests will be conducted, following which the gas will begin to flow in late 2019.

The Leviathan reservoir, located 125 kilometers west of Haifa, was discovered in December 2010 by a partnership of Noble Energy, Delek Drilling, and Ratio Oil Exploration (1992) LP (TASE:RATI.L). It was recognized as one of the largest natural gas discoveries in the world in the previous decade. Investment in the first stage of the project amounts to $3.75 billion.

Stage 1A of Leviathan includes difficult undersea development from four production drillings at an average depth of five kilometers below the sea. Each drilling has a daily production capacity of 300 MMcf of natural gas. Annual production capacity is slated to amount to 12 BCM.

The gas from the reservoir will be piped through two 130-kilometer undersea pipelines leading directly from the offshore platform. All treatment of the gas will take place at sea. The treated gas and the condensate produced will be piped from the platform to the shore through a pipeline connected to the transportation system of the Israel National Gas Lines Company and to the national fuel transportation system of Eilat Asheklon Pipeline Co. (EAPC), as stipulated in the National Outline Plan.

Gas from Leviathan will enable electricity producers and industrial plants to reduce their use of polluting fuel, reduce energy costs, and cut down on air pollution. Beyond its many environmental, security, and economic benefits, exports of gas from Leviathan to Egypt and Jordan make Israel an important gas exporter and reinforce its relations in the region.

Last Wednesday, a hearing took place in the Haifa District Court on a petition for a restraining order filed by the Homeland Guards organization and the local authorities in the vicinity of the Dor coast aimed at preventing next week's arrival of the Leviathan platform in Israel and its subsequent installation. Judge Ron Sokol dismissed the petition against allowing the platform to enter Israel. He also ruled against delaying work on constructing and installing the platform, but noted that a final ruling in the matter would be rendered in the coming days. Representing Noble Energy in the petition were Adv. Yonatan Kehat and Adv. Hanan Cidor from the Agmon & Co. Rosenberg Hacohen & Co. law firm.

Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on January 27, 2019

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2019

Leviathan rig Photo: Noble Energy
Leviathan rig Photo: Noble Energy
Forbes Rich List credit: Shutterstock Maslowski Marcin Wiz founders ranked in Forbes 2025 Rich List

There are a few dozen Israelis listed in the 2025 Forbes Real-Time Billionaires List including Wiz founders Assaf Rappaport, Yinon Costica, Roy Reznik and Ami Luttwak.

SatixFy CEO Nir Barkan credit: Ariel Barkan Canada's MDA Space to buy Israeli satcom co SatixFy

MDA Space will pay $269 million for the Israeli company, including taking on a $76 million debt and a 75% premium on SatixFy's closing price on Nasdaq yesterday.

Raising dollars credit: Shutterstock Israeli startups raised over $1b in March

Israeli privately-held tech companies have raised $2.1 billion in the first three months of 2025, according to IVC-LeumiTech, up 24% from the corresponding quarter of 2024.

Terminal 1 credit: Personal image Terminal 1 reopening revives Israel low-cost fare options

With the opening of the terminal for international flights, the Irish low-cost airline Ryanair has returned to Israel and with it, double-digit US dollar round-trip fares.

Arkady Volozh  credit: Shlomi Yosef Analysts see Israel-linked Nebius challenging CoreWeave

Nebius, founded by Yandex founder Arkady Volozh, operates in CoreWeave's AI server market, but is growing "more rationally", and has far less debt.

Bezalel Smotrich and Amir Yaron credit: Knesset Spokesperson and Tali Bogdanovsky Retail chains, credit card cos could soon act as banks

Israel's financial regulators have proposed that supermarket chains, credit card companies and investment houses will be able to accept deposits and offer credit.

Elbit Systems rocket launcher  credit: Elbit Systems Elbit Systems wins $130m European rocket order

The order is for the supply of rockets for Elbit's Precise and Universal Launching System (PULS), which has an effective range of up to 300 kilometers.

Nvidia VP Ali Kani credit: Nvidia Nvidia intensifies efforts to compete with Mobileye

"Globes" talks to Nvidia VP and automotive team head Ali Kani about the chipmaker's autonomous vehicle activities and assesses the threat to Mobileye.

Fitch ratings agency credit: Shutterstock Fitch reaffirms Israel's A rating with negative outlook

The ratings agency said, "The negative outlook reflects rising public debt, domestic political and governance challenges and uncertain prospects for the conflict in Gaza."

Tamar rig credit: PR Sovereign Wealth Fund earned handsome returns in 2024

Israel's Sovereign Wealth Fund, known as the Citizens' Fund, had assets worth about $2 billion at the end of 2024, the Ministry of Finance reports.

Fencing goes up Petah Tikva's Segula neighborhood  credit: NTA Work on Metro to begin in Petah Tikva

The first work on the Tel Aviv Metropolitan underground railways system will begin on the M2 line depot in Petah Tikva.

Startups credit: Shutterstock/NicoElNino IVC-LeumiTech: Tech fund raising jumps 24% in Q1

Israeli privately-held tech companies raised $2.13 billion in the first quarter of 2025, up 24% from the corresponding quarter of 2024, but down 12% from the preceding quarter.

Miri Regev and Yitzhak Rochberger credit: Yediot Ahronot/ Reuven Kapuchinsky and Amit Shabi Ramat Hasharon wants railway station for the Mossad

Ramat Hasharon is pushing for a station in Glilot neat the Mossad headquarters, even though a new station is also planned for Glilot South, 1.6 kilometers away.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu credit: Reuven Kastro Police call Netanyahu for testimony as aides arrested

Jonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein are being held over alleged payments received from Qatar while working in the prime minister's bureau.

Highcon chairperson Shlomo Nimrodi  credit: PR Packaging tech co Highcon winding down

The company, which numbers Benny Landa and JVP among its investors, is laying off most of its workforce, having lost 99.9% of its value since its flotation.

MK Almog Cohen  credit: Danny Shem-Tov, Knesset Spokesperson's Office Netanyahu halts Nevatim airport bill

Legislation mandating construction of an airport at Nevatim, near Beersheva, is ready for final Knesset approval, but the prime minister blocked it after a security cabinet meeting.

Twitter Facebook Linkedin RSS Newsletters גלובס Israel Business Conference 2018