"At this time, Israel is becoming an energy superpower, which will supply the energy needs of its neighbors and strengthen its standing as a central source of energy supply in the region, and I welcome it." -Energy and Water Minister Silvan Shalom
"Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great. There go the ships, and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it." (Psalm 104:25-26)
[Recently], Israel signed a memorandum of understanding with Jordan that will make the Jewish state Jordan's chief natural gas supplier. (Photo: Albatross Aerial photography/Nobel Energy/FLASH90)
Under the memorandum, the Hashemite Kingdom will purchase $15 billion worth of natural gas from Israel's Leviathan energy field over a 15 year period. This comes in addition to an earlier agreement signed in February, in which Jordan purchased $500 Million worth of gas from the already operational Tamar Field.
The move from Jordan comes as their gas supply line from Egypt has been sabotaged numerous times by terrorists in the Sinai peninsula. This new deal, which is the largest collaboration between Israel and Jordan to date, will turn Israel into Jordan's chief energy supplier according to Globes business news website.
Now that the memorandum of understanding has been struck, a final agreement is waiting to be approved by Energy and Water Minister Silvan Shalom, who is expected to confirm it.
Amos Hochstein, the State Department's Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs was among those present in Jordan during the negotiations and signing of the deal. Also in attendance were representatives of Delek Group (based in Israel) and Noble Energy (based on Houston), both of whom are partners in ownership and operation of the Leviathan field.
Minister Shalom welcomed the agreement, and termed it "a historic act that will strengthen the economic and diplomatic ties between Israel and Jordan."
"At this time, Israel is becoming an energy superpower, which will supply the energy needs of its neighbors and strengthen its standing as a central source of energy supply in the region, and I welcome it," he said in a statement.
