Gas Production Resumes at Israel's Leviathan Field After Halt Due to War with Iran

Israel's largest gas field, known as Leviathan, has finally resumed production after a prolonged shutdown lasting 33 days. This stoppage was triggered by escalating conflict with Iran, which has led to significant changes in the energy landscape of the region.

The Leviathan project, operated by Chevron Corp., is now able to resume gas supplies not only for the domestic market in Israel but also for export. A spokesperson for shareholder Newmed Energy LP reported that the resumption of production became possible following the announcement by Israel's Ministry of Energy regarding the restart of the field.

Leviathan is a massive gas field located in the eastern Mediterranean Sea and is crucial not only for meeting Israel's energy needs but also for neighboring Egypt. The gas reserves in this field are estimated at 22.9 trillion cubic feet, which is approximately equivalent to 648 billion cubic meters.

According to information published by Bloomberg, Israel ordered the temporary closure of several gas fields as a security measure following the outbreak of conflict on February 28. This decision significantly complicated the situation in the global energy market, as the war led to difficulties in the movement of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. Additionally, missile attacks have damaged the world's largest liquefied natural gas plant in Qatar.

In response to these events, Egypt announced a series of measures aimed at regulating energy supplies as gas prices surged. Typically, the country receives about 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas daily through a pipeline from Israel. However, the cessation of supplies forced Cairo to urgently increase imports of liquefied natural gas to meet domestic needs.

Moreover, another Israeli gas field called Karish, operated by Energean Plc, was also closed by the government following the outbreak of war with Iran. Currently, operations at this field have not resumed, adding further complications to an already challenging situation in the region's energy sector.

It is noteworthy that on March 18, Iran accused the United States and Israel of striking its giant South Pars gas field in the Persian Gulf. This incident marked yet another attack on energy assets amid the regional conflict. On March 16, authorities in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, reported a fire at one of the world's largest oil and gas fields, Shah, following a drone strike.

Thus, the resumption of gas production at the Leviathan field is an important step for Israel amid the complex geopolitical situation in the region. This could have a significant impact on the energy security not only of the country itself but also of neighboring states that depend on Israeli gas resources.