Israel Is Becoming

A Major Energy Power

Russia Seeks To Partner with Israel

Transforming Israel into a Major

Energy Exporter

(A-O Newswire) -- Russia is seeking to partner with Israel to develop new energy fields located off the Israeli coastline. Such a partnership would make Israel a major energy exporter to the world. It may well change the geo-political spectrum of the world and have a significant impact on Biblical Prophecies such as the Ezekiel's prophecies concerning Gog/Magog and its confederation of allied nations.

Those energy fields are known as:

1. The Tamar Field
2. The Leviathan Field
3. The Dalit Field

See the map shown below for geographical locations relative to Israel and her neighbors.

A close look at the map will show that the latter two fields are clearly within Israel's territorial rights, however, the Tamar field is close enough for Lebanon to try and lay claim to a portion of the field. Lebanon initially did lay down a potential claim to the field, but recently agreed to Israel's right to both the Tamar and Leviathan fields. The Lebanese government did so on the basis that new research showed a strong likelihood of additional deposits in adjacent properties well-within Lebanese territorial waters. As such, the Lebanese figured it was more propitious to not waste money objecting to Israel's claim and use that money to develop its own fields.

The Tamar field is located about 50 miles west of Haifa while the Leviathan field is a further 30 miles beyond the Tamar field at a depth of nearly 5,000 feet.

The Tamar field, smaller than the Leviathan field was first to be explored beginning at the end of the 20th Century. It quickly ran into problems as the contract developer continually delayed its activities. After nearly 10 years, the field's exploration and development was switched to an American company, Noble Energy who began drilling the first well in November of 2008. In January of 2009, after drilling down 4,900 feet Noble announced the well had struck paydirt, successfully reaching a natural gas deposit. The field is estimated to have nearly 10 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. By contrast, the Leviathan field is estimated to have 17 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

Noble Energy proceeded at a quick pace to develop the Tamar field, which is now scheduled to begin supplying Israel with natural gas in early 2013. This comes at a propitious moment in time for Israel as it has been relying upon Egyptian natural gas via pipelines from the Sinai Peninsula. Those pipelines have been repeatedly sabotaged during 2012 creating supply shortages for Israel. The new Tamar supply will forever end Israel's reliance upon Egypt for natural gas. Extra supplies of gas are slated to be marketed to Cyprus and South Korea, although as additional production comes online, additional customers will likely emerge.  


The massive Leviathan field is much further out to sea and adjoins the coastline of the Greek portion of Cyprus. Israel, Greece and Cyprus have agreed to a joint partnership to develop the Leviathan field. They are seeking additional corporate partners to actually produce and bring to market the giant natural gas and oil reserves found in Leviathan.


At the moment, the three governments of Israel, Cyprus and Greece are working to make a final decision on whether there will be any additional corporations added as developmental partners in the gigantic venture to supply natural gas to Europe, Africa and Asia.

However, Turkey, Lebanon and Syria have disputed the ownership claims made by Israel-Cyprus-Greece partnership for the Leviathan field. Turkey has even threatened war to prevent the Israeli-led Leviathan venture from development. Not only has Turkey threatened war, but it has assigned and dispatched a significant chunk of its navy to impede efforts by Israeli-led coalition to conduct preparations for development. Israeli and Turkish warships have nearly come to blows with each other during the past 12 months but have managed to avoid triggering a hot war between the four nations.

The Leviathan field is also being handled by Noble Energy along with 3 other Israeli companies working together in joint partnership. These companies are seeking to raise additional capital for development of the field by selling off portions of the rights to either an Australian company (Woodside Petroleum) or Russia's mega-company known as Gazprom. There are late indications that Gazprom has the inside track for not only partnership but for spearheading the field's development and bringing it all to markets. Gazprom is ready and willing to develop pipelines to the European continent and not merely rely upon a floating dock for LNG tankers to transport the energy to port cities.

The partnership with Gazprom is opposed by the Obama Administration, perhaps in part because a Gazprom partnership may well establish a long-term strategic partnership between Russia and Israel. The Obama Administration's lobbying efforts for an explicit U.S.-Israeli venture seems to have fallen short in large measure due to President Obama's mistreatment of Israel and especially the personal humiliation extended to Prime Minister Netanyahu during the Prime Minister's visits to America particularly one appalling White House visit.

Another wrinkle in the potentially burgeoning Russia-Israeli relationship is Russia's marketing strategy to control gas prices in Europe. In controlling European markets Russia can deny any marketing distribution advantages to Iran and Turkey who have partnered together to bring Iranian energy products to Europe via pipelines through Turkey. In other words, Gazprom could have a virtual monopoly and at least certainly keep Muslim hands out of the European market.

A Russian-Israeli partnership as envisioned with the Leviathan project strongly suggests that Russia is indeed, NOT, the Magog nation of Ezekiel's prophecies. In point of fact, the situation would strongly suggest that either Magog or Turkey are more likely inclined to be the Magog nation of Ezekiel's prophecies found in Chapters 38 and 39.

The Russian-Israeli relationship is destined to provide Israel with not only energy independence but also monetary independence that could free the Jewish state from being beholden to the United States at a time when the Obama Administration is doing everything it can to jettison the historic warm relations between America and Israel. At the same time, Israel's partnership with Russia further estranges Israel from Turkey, setting the stage for Turkey to become an enemy to Israel, which would match the Ezekiel prophecies.

As we understand it, a final decision on choosing a strategic partner for the Leviathan project is expected before the end of the year. Product from the Leviathan field is expected to come to market sometime in 2015 or 2016.


For more on the new Israeli-Russian partnership, see the LINK HERE.