Israel's Ministry of Environmental Protection has fined Energean Oil & Gas plc (LSE: ENOG; TASE: ENOG) NIS 878,000 for violating the terms of its permit for gas flow from the sea via the drilling ship Stena Drill max, which drilled the Karish offshore gas field at the end of 2019. The Karish field is 90 kilometers west of Haifa Bay at a depth of 1.7 kilometers.
The drilling ship violated the instruction of the permit for gas flow from the sea and during its routine operations dumped cement into the sea.
Energean said, "The company has had a clean record on the environment in over 30 years and operates with absolute respect for the marine and coastal environment in ever place where it works around the world."
"In the aforementioned case, there is no doubt that no environmental damage was caused. We respect the decision of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and will work accordingly. The company operates subject to the strictest environmental standards while diligently maintaining an ongoing connection with the regulator and will continue to operate so in the future."
Energean added, "The amount that flowed was negligible and according to the permit - 1 cubic meter of mixed cement in the water, which is according to the strictest acceptable standards in the EU. The absence of the ability to document in the hours of darkness is what resulted in the fine."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on December 20, 2020
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