Israel Resumes Pumping 1.1 Billion Cubic Feet of Gas to Egypt After Maintenance Operations

SadaNews Economy - Israel has resumed pumping about 1.1 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day to Egypt following the completion of maintenance operations at the "Tamar" and "Leviathan" fields in the Mediterranean Sea, paving the way for the return of supplies to their previous levels, which had declined during maintenance to about 750 million cubic feet of gas, according to a government official speaking to "Asharq" on condition of anonymity.

Egypt's imports of Israeli gas will start to increase from today, after a stoppage that lasted nearly two weeks due to routine maintenance, according to the official.

Egypt, the largest Arab country by population, imports about 1.1 billion cubic feet per day from Israel, and there are plans to gradually increase this amount to 1.2 billion cubic feet per day starting from January, under an amended agreement signed by both sides in July 2025, which will last until 2040. The agreement includes an increase in total quantities by approximately 4.6 trillion cubic feet, conditional on the expansion of infrastructure.

Egypt's Imports of Israeli Gas

Egypt's imports of natural gas from Israeli fields increased by about 8% during the financial year ending June 2025, reaching 344 billion cubic feet, compared to 319 billion cubic feet in the previous financial year, according to a government official who spoke to "Asharq" earlier.

The Egyptian government began importing gas from Israel in 2020 under a $15 billion deal between "Noble Energy" and "Delek Drilling," before renewing the agreement last August to add larger quantities and extend the supply period until 2040.

The country seeks to increase natural gas production to 6.6 billion cubic feet per day by 2030, an increase of 58% over the current rate of 4.2 billion cubic feet, according to Egyptian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Karim Badawy.

Cairo plans to drill 14 exploratory wells in the Mediterranean in 2026 to assess reserves of 12 trillion cubic feet.

Buying LNG Shipments

The official mentioned in his conversation with "Asharq" that Egypt compensated for the decrease in gas volumes coming from Israel by importing about 16 liquefied gas shipments during this month.

Egypt, which has shifted from a net exporter to an importer of liquefied gas, aims to be a regional energy hub by importing gas from neighboring countries, liquefying it at its facilities, and then reselling it in the global market at a profit margin.

Egypt imports two types of gas: the first is natural gas through pipelines from neighboring countries like Israel, characterized by low cost and quick delivery to the local market. The second is liquefied natural gas, which is transported in liquid form via regasification ships and is more expensive due to the liquefaction and transportation processes.

Currently, three regasification ships are operating in Ain Sokhna with a capacity of about 2.25 billion cubic feet per day, in addition to a fourth ship in the Port of Damietta, and the fifth ship in Aqaba, as part of a cooperation agreement between Cairo and Jordan with a capacity of 300 million cubic feet per day. The fifth regasification unit contracted by Egypt is expected to become operational this month.