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Monday, October 24, 2011

Natural gas pipeline from Egypt to Israel re-opens

From Ma'an:
The flow of natural gas from Egypt to Israel has resumed after a cut of several months due to repeated militant attacks, Israel's National Infrastructure Ministry said on Sunday.

It said gas began to flow in reduced quantities on Thursday night to test the system, before a resumption of full levels.

Egypt's Sinai desert pipeline which connects to Israel has been attacked by militants six times this year, and an Israeli official said the state has not received gas through the pipeline since a bombing in July.

Egypt supplies 43 percent of Israel's natural gas, which generates 40 percent of Israeli electricity.

National Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau said in April that his country would have to find alternatives if the Egyptian gas exports did not resume.
I think it is a safe bet that there will be more attacks on the pipeline in the near future.

Israel seems to be fast-tracking the use of gas fields in the Mediterranean, which are still a couple of years away.