Israel’s energy ministry has instructed Chevron Corp. to restart operations at the offshore Tamar natural gas platform, nine days after it was shut due to unrest in the region, the company said.

Production at the Tamar platform, located some 15.5 miles off the city of Ashdod along Israel’s southern Mediterranean coast, was expected to reach full capacity within 36 hours of its restart, Chevron said in a statement May 21.

Chevron operates and holds a 25% stake in the Tamar gas field, which was shut May 12 on the instructions of the government after violence erupted in Israel and the Gaza Strip.

It produced a total of 8.2 billion cubic meters (Bcm) of gas in 2020, of which 7.7 Bcm went to Israel, 0.3 Bcm to neighboring Egypt and 0.2 Bcm to Jordan, data from Israeli energy firm Delek, which also holds a stake, shows. 

 

Offshore