JERUSALEM, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- Israel planned to ramp up annual natural gas exports from the Tamar field to Egypt to 3.5 billion cubic meters, said the Israeli Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure on Wednesday.
The expansion, approved by Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz, is set to start in 2026, according to the ministry's statement.
The ministry noted that exporting more gas could increase Israel's revenues by billions of dollars and strengthen political relationships with Egypt and other countries in the region.
In 2022, the export of Tamar gas to Egypt stood at 0.86 billion cubic meters, it added.
The increase will be made possible by a planned expansion of the production of Tamar from 10.3 billion cubic meters last year to about 16 billion a year.
Tamar's expansion, which requires a final investment decision by the licensed partners in the field, will be carried out by adding a third transmission pipeline and upgrading production equipment.
The ministry is considering an expansion of the nearby Leviathan gas field.
Last year, Israel produced 11.58 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Leviathan, of which 4.95 billion were exported to Egypt, according to the ministry's data.
