JERUSALEM, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Israel's natural gas exports to Egypt increased by 39 percent in 2023 compared to 2022, according to an annual report published by the Israeli Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure on Sunday.
The report, written by the ministry's Natural Gas Authority, noted that the export of natural gas to Egypt rose to an annual record of 8.6 billion cubic meters (BCM) last year.
Israeli gas is transported to Egypt through the private East Mediterranean Gas (EMG) Pipeline and the Jordanian transmission system located east of Israel.
The ministry attributed the surge in exports to a rise in demand from Egypt and the beginning of natural gas production from the Karish field in the eastern Mediterranean in October 2022, complementing Israel's existing Leviathan and Tamar gas fields.
In total, Israeli natural gas exports, encompassing those sent to both Egypt and Jordan, reached 11.6 BCM in 2023, marking a 27 percent year-on-year increase. Exports to Jordan remained almost unchanged during this period.
Israeli natural gas production last year reached a new annual record of 24.7 BCM, an increase of 12.8 percent from 2022.
The total amount includes, alongside the exports, 13.1 BCM supplied to the local economy, marking a 3.5 percent year-on-year increase. About 80 percent of the local supply was used for electricity generation.
The ministry noted that prices and supply of natural gas in Israel showed stability despite the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip and the global energy crisis. ■
