Chevron has announced the resumption of natural gas supply from the Tamar offshore field in Israel, approximately one month after being directed by the Israeli government to cease operations due to the escalation of violence in the region. The Tamar field is a significant contributor to Israel’s power generation, and industry sources anticipate it reaching full capacity within the next few days. Approximately 20% of the gas produced at Tamar is typically exported to neighboring Egypt and Jordan.
The directive to halt operations came from Israel’s Energy Ministry, which declared a state of emergency in the sector following an attack by Hamas on Israeli territory on October 7. This event led to conflicts in the Gaza Strip and other regions. The Tamar production platform, situated about 25 km from the city of Ashdod along Israel’s southern Mediterranean coast and visible from the northern Gaza Strip, was within the range of rocket fire.
Chevron stated in a released statement that it has resumed supplying customers both within Israel and the broader region from the Tamar production platform. The company received instructions from the Israeli government on November 9 to resume operations.
While the Tamar field was temporarily offline, Israel relied more heavily on gas supplies from the Leviathan field, operated by Chevron and unaffected by the conflict. Leviathan, Israel’s largest offshore gas field, continued to operate normally during the tensions. Chevron holds a 25% stake in the Tamar field, which contributes approximately 1% to its global gas output.
In summary, Chevron has successfully resumed natural gas supply from the Tamar offshore field, contributing to Israel’s energy needs and regional exports, following a temporary halt prompted by security concerns and government directives.
