Sharjah24 - Reuters: Israel is boosting offshore natural gas output and aims to reach a supply agreement with Europe in the coming months as the continent looks to replace Russian supply.
The country is on track in the next few years to double production to about 40 billion cubic metres (bcm) from about 20 bcm as it expands current projects and brings new fields online, industry officials say.
Israel currently supplies its own market and through a local network of pipelines exports to neighbours Egypt and Jordan, while much of the additional gas is earmarked for Europe.
"The hope is to create a relatively fast working process and already during the summer to reach a framework agreement," said Lior Schillat, director general of Israel's Energy Ministry, during a recent visit to the drill ship at Karish, a gas field some 90 km off Israel's coast due to come on line later this year.
Its owner, London-based Energean, recently discovered more deposits nearby.
"At the beginning it will be small amounts and slowly, as production and delivery capacities rise, (the amounts) will increase," Schillat said.
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