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Australian energy firms explore opportunities in Israel

25 Jun 2013

Representatives of Australian energy firms travelled to Tel Aviv recently to discuss avenues of cooperation in developing Israel’s natural gas industry.

“Several Australian companies are already active in the market in areas such as engineering services, pipeline trenching and logistical services,”’ said Eric Goldberg, the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) representative in Tel Aviv.

The oil and gas industry mission was co-sponsored by Austrade and the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce.

Representatives from Australian energy companies, including Origin Energy, Lakes Oil, Clough, Mine Site Technologies and the Industry Capability Network, took part in the week-long mission. They met with Israeli government officials, who are fine-tuning the industry’s export policy, as well as leading local energy sector players.

Kevin McCann, chairman of Australia’s Origin Energy and delegation leader, said the export expertise of Australia’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry could be useful.

“I think the Australian companies, in the area of providing services, would be very well-qualified to help Israel with this project,” Mr McCann said, as reported by The Jerusalem Post newspaper.

“We’ve got the expertise, we’ve undertaken these projects,” he said.

McCann said Australia’s unlimited natural gas export policy had helped drive the nation’s gas exploration and exports.

Australian energy giant Woodside said in December it had reached an agreement in principle to buy 30 per cent of Israel’s Leviathan field, which is estimated to contain about 17 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas.

The agreement would also allow Woodside to participate in further exploration opportunities in the Leviathan licences and operate any LNG development of the field.