27 August 12 10:20–”Without gas exports, the Leviathan field will not be developed,” the representative of a European bank which represents an oil major interested in becoming a partner in the gas field told “Globes” yesterday.

Commenting on the minority opinion in the Tzemach Committee which calls for postponing a decision on gas exports, the representative said, “Israel can be like Bangladesh and legislate whatever laws it wants, but the gas will stay in the ground. Developers won’t come without the option of exporting, and the state cannot develop the fields on its own.”

The possibility that an oil major will become a strategic partner in Leviathan was behind the scenes of the Tzemach Committee’s discussions, and was even mentioned in its report. The reference is to several oil majors with which Delek Group Ltd. (TASE: DLEKG) and its Leviathan partners are in talks on 25% of rights to the gas field.

In the Tzemach Committee’s minority opinion, which was submitted yesterday, the Ministry of Environmental Protection says that the committee’s focus on the entry of a strategic partner was “particularly infuriating”, and diverted the discussion from the focus on Israel’s gas needs…Read More>>

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