Sources inform ''Globes'' that the partnership that owns the Tamar and Dalit natural gas wells is offering to sell the gas to the state. No mention has yet been made of quantities or price, but sales could amount to hundreds of millions of dollars.
The companies declined to comment on the report.
Noble Energy Inc. (NYSE: NBL) owns 36% of the two prospects, Isramco Ltd. (Nasdaq: ISRL; TASE: ISRA.L) owns 28.75%, Delek Group Ltd. (TASE: DLEKG) subsidiaries Delek Drilling LP (TASE: DEDR.L) and Avner Oil and Gas LP (TASE: AVNR.L) each own 15.625%, and Alon Israel Oil Company Ltd. subsidiary Dor Gas Exploration Ltd. owns 4%.
The partnership has made an initial approach to Accountant General Shuki Oren at the Ministry of Finance. The partners are seeking an option in which the government will commit to purchasing significant quantities of natural gas at a discount, so that they can already begin seeking bank financing to develop the gas reserves in 2010.
The estimated cost of developing the Tamar prospect, which has an estimated 142 billion cubic meters of natural gas, is $1.5 billion. The partners can begin bring forward gas deliveries from the field to 2012, if they first decide to develop the smaller field at the Michal prospect where the Dalit well is located. The Michal prospect has an estimated 14 billion cubic meters of natural gas, and is located closer to shore than the Tamar field. The Tamar field is offshore from Haifa and the Michal field is offshore from Hadera.
The partners want a safety net, similar to net of 90-95% of costs given to private electricity producers.
The partners realize that Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) (TASE: ELEC.B22) will apparently not be able to commit this to buying natural gas. IEC is currently negotiating to buy gas to by an additional five billion cubic meters of natural gas by 2012 from Egypt's East Mediterranean Gas Co. (EMG), as well as from the Yam Tethys partnership owned by Delek Group and Noble Energy, and from BG Group plc (NYSE: BRG; LSE: BG) after 2012. Yam Tethys' field is offshore from Ashkelon and BG Group's field is offshore from Gaza.
The Ministry of Finance initially considered a government guarantee for the partners to secure the bank financing to develop the gas fields. However, this is not a realistic option because of the planned budget cuts.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on May 19, 2009
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2009