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Chevron becomes operator of two Israeli natural gas fields

US gas and petrol giant Chevron is now the owner of Nobel Energy and the operator of Israel natural gas fields Tamar and Leviathan.

A view of the platform of the Leviathan natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea is pictured from the Israeli northern coastal city of Caesarea on December 19, 2019. - Israel has approved the export of gas from its offshore reserves to Egypt, a spokeswoman said on December 17, with a major reservoir expected to begin operations imminently.
The approval by Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz was part of a long process under which Israel will transform from an importer of natural gas from Egypt into an exporter
A view of the platform of the Leviathan natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea is pictured from the northern coastal city of Caesarea, Israel, Dec. 19, 2019. — JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images

Three months after announcing its intention to buy Nobel Energy, US petrol and gas conglomerate Chevron said Oct. 5 it has completed the acquisition process. The news came after Chevron’s stakeholders approved the $4.1 billion deal. With the purchase, Chevron now owns major stakes in Israel’s offshore natural gas fields Tamar and Leviathan.

“We are pleased to welcome Noble Energy’s employees and shareholders to Chevron. Noble’s high-quality assets complement Chevron’s advantaged upstream portfolio, and the combination is expected to deliver strong financial benefits,” Chevron CEO Michael Wirth said.

Shortly after the announcement, Chevron President of Middle East and North Africa operations Clay Neff contacted Israel's Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz, briefing him that the deal had been finalized.

Steinitz hailed the announcement as tremendous news for Israel’s economy and for its energy industry, saying, "I spoke today with Clay Neff who is responsible for Chevron's operations in the Middle East and he informed me that the merger with Noble Energy had been completed. The entry of an international oil major is huge news for the Israeli economy and opens up opportunities for investment in the high-tech sector and startups in the field of energy."

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