Leviathan gas field

The government of the Republic of Cyprus believes Turkey has obtained privileged drilling information regarding an area off the southern coast of the island.

Kathimerini reports that stakeholders in the Aphrodite gas field have agreed to commit natural gas from Cyprus' Block 12 to Egypt's LNG facilities from where it will be exported to international markets. A few legal details remain and are expected to be clarified within days.

ExxonMobil added another giant gas discovery to the east Mediterranean region after finding a gas-bearing reservoir offshore Cyprus but infrastructure bottlenecks and geopolitical disputes mean output from the field could be far off.

Turkey will not allow any unilateral hydrocarbon drilling or exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, Turkey's Energy Minister said on Sept. 20.

Royal Dutch Shell Plc is looking to bring natural gas from Israel and Cyprus to market, a step that could help turn the Mediterranean region into a major gas-producing hub.

According to sources, Shell is in talks to buy natural gas from Israel’s Leviathan field and combine it with output from Cyprus’ Aphrodite field – in which has a 35% stake – and pump it to an LNG plant in Egypt.

Turkey and Israel have been in talks about the commercial details of building a pipeline to carry Israeli gas to Europe via Turkey, a top Israeli official has said, adding that he is optimistic about the process in which a final agreement may be reached soon. 

"We could have Israeli gas in Turkey in the next three to four years," said Shaul Meridor, the Israeli Energy Ministry's director general, at the eighth annual Atlantic Council Istanbul Summit. 

An Israeli company said on March 2 it has started exporting gas from an offshore field to Jordan, marking the country's first ever exports of natural gas.

The exports to Jordan began in January, Delek Drilling -- part of a consortium leading the development of Israel's offshore gas reserves -- told AFP.

Israel sees Turkey not only as a big market but also as a major economy in the region, Delek Group's Gas Pipeline Project Director Ofer Oberlander said Feb. 23.        

"Conflicts can only be solved when they are still hot," Henry Kissinger once famously said. But Cyprus seems to overrule this quote since the 50-years old question seems to be defrosting at last.