A gas rig off Israel’s coast. Photo: YouTube screenshot.

JNS.org – Israel’s Ministry of Energy on Tuesday presented its official plan for the development of the Karish (“shark”) and Tanin (“crocodile”) natural gas fields in the Jewish state’s Mediterranean economic waters.

Karish and Tanin are located adjacent to Israel’s larger Tamar and Leviathan offshore gas fields. Under the plan, the Karish field will be developed first, and the Tanin field will be developed if demand for natural gas is high enough in the Israeli market.

Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz lauded the proposal for demonstrating Israel’s ability “to keep to the schedule” of developing its natural energy resources. Steinitz also stated that after the new gas fields become operative, “competition will increase and prices…will fall.”

The fields are purported to contain some 1.8 trillion cubic feet of gas, which would flow into Israel by 2020.

Israel currently relies entirely on the Tamar field and a single pipeline for its natural gas needs. Security experts have highlighted Israel’s dependence on the single natural gas field and pipeline as a potential strategic threat in the event of a conflict.