The company and its partners initially planned to develop Tamar using an option (Tamar North) that would flow gas from the deepwater field to a new onshore receiving terminal to be constructed in the northern half of the country. But the selection and approval of the site for the onshore terminal was delayed and Noble Energy decided an alternative development plan.
The Tamar North development option was designed to deliver gas to Israeli markets in 2012. The Mari-B field located offshore Ashkelon, which is said to be the country’s main source of domestic natural gas at present, has been meeting gas needs since 2004, but its production is expected to decline sharply in late 2013. Noble Energy operates both the Tamar and Mari-B fields.
According to Noble Energy, a Tamar South development option will utilize the existing onshore gas receiving terminal located at Ashdod. It will involve a similar field development as the northern option, but will bring the gas to a new offshore platform to be constructed next to the existing Mari-B platform and then redeliver the gas to the existing pipeline that connects Mari-B to the Ashdod onshore terminal.
The Tamar South development option will provide for initial deliveries of Tamar gas by late 2012. Cost of Tamar South is approximately the same as Tamar North.
