Lebanese protesters sail in boats with slogans affirming Lebanon's right to its offshore gas wealth, near a border-marking buoy between Israel and Lebanon in the Mediterranean waters off the southern town of Naqoura on Sept. 4, 2022. (Credit: Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP)
JERUSALEM — Israel granted Energean permission to start production at the offshore Karish gas field, an Energy Ministry statement announced Tuesday.
Energean previously said its floating production storage and offloading vessel is due to start production at Karish in the third quarter but has not given a precise date.
On Oct. 9, the London-listed energy group began pumping gas to its floating production facility as part of reverse flow testing procedures.
On Thursday, Israel and Lebanon are expected to sign a US-brokered maritime border deal reached this month, opening the way for offshore energy exploration.
In the weeks running up to the deal, the development of the Karish field, about 80 km (50 miles) west of the Israeli city of Haifa, caused tensions between the two countries and drew threats of war from the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement.
"The production of natural gas from the Karish platform bolsters Israel's energy security, enhances our stature as energy exporters, strengthens Israel's economy, and helps in grappling with the global energy crisis," Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said in a statement Tuesday night.
Reporting contributed by Maayan Lubell and Ari Rabinovitch.