Chevron halts production at Tamar field offshore Israel

Chevron has closed the Tamar field located off the Israel coast in accordance with an order issued by the country’s energy ministry, as the Gaza conflict escalates.

Chevron was reported by Reuters as saying: “In accordance with instructions received from the Ministry of Energy, we have shut in and depressurised the Tamar Platform.”

However, the energy giant will continue to operate the other offshore field Leviathan in Israel, reported Reuters.

On 11 May, reports emerged that a fire broke out at the Eilat-Ashkelon pipeline in Ashkelon, Israel, following an attack by a missile from the Gaza Strip.

Jerusalem tensions have sparked the heaviest fighting in years between Israel and Palestinian militants, with the UN fearing a ‘full-scale war’.

Israeli authorities claim that more than 1,000 rockets have been fired by Palestinian militants.

In retaliation, Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes on Gaza, which have reportedly killed many senior Hamas officials.

According to media reports, nearly 65 Palestinians and six people in Israel have died since Monday.

The Tamar field is operated by Chevron (25%), while its other participants include Isramco (28.75%), Tamar Petroleum (16.75%), Dor Gas (4%), and Everest (3.5%).

Contained in water depth of up to 1,700m, the offshore field is located nearly 90km west of Haifa in the Levantine basin of the Mediterranean Sea.

Gas from the field is transported via two 140km long pipelines that connect to the offshore Tamar platform for most of the processing work.

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