Gazprom is discussing the possibility of joint development of shale fields in Israel, First Deputy Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov said during the first Russian-Israeli business forum in Moscow today, RIA Novosti reports. “Gazprom is continuing to study the issue of supplying Israel with gas by pipeline via Turkey and there are also prospects for joint projects to develop fuel shale in Israel”, Zubkov said without disclosing the details of the projects.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was interested in exchanging technologies with Russia, especially in the agriculture and gas producing sectors. In January 2009, a large gas field was discovered in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Haifa at a depth of 1.5 kilometers – Tamar-1. Initial estimates showed the field contains 90 billion cubic meters of gas, while subsequent studies increased the figure to 142 billion cubic meters. The field’s daily debit could be as much as 45-47 cubic meters, enough to cover 50 percent of Israeli consumption through 2030.
