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The Tamar gas field is a natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel. The field is located in Israel's exclusive economic zone, roughly west of Haifa in waters deep. While there have been small oil and gas discoveries in Israel over the decades, Tamar was the first large-scale hydrocarbon resource discovered in the country. It was also the first gas discovery made in geological layers dating back to the Oligo–Miocene era in the up-until-then little-explored Levant basin of the Eastern Mediterranean. Since Tamar's discovery in 2009, large gas discoveries have been made in other analogous geological formations of the same age in the region. Since Tamar was the first such discovery, these gas containing formations have become collectively known as ''Tamar sands''. ==History== In 1999, Israel's Oil Commissioner granted BG Group preliminary exploratory permits to deep-sea blocks that included the Tamar field. In December 2000, BG received an exploratory license, in a partnership that included three Israeli industrial companies, Mashav, Dor Chemicals, and Israel Petrochemical Enterprises.〔Israel Government Reshumot, #4953.〕 In May, 2001, Mashav left the partnership and BG brought in STX, Isramco, Clal Industries, and Granit-Sonol, the latter two leaving the partnership in 2004.〔Israel Government Reshumot, #4989 and #5359.〕 In December 2001, BG completed 3D seismic studies that indicated the potential of the Tamar field and of the adjoining Dalit field. BG recommended drilling an exploratory well at an estimated cost of $40 million.〔(BG Group to invest $40 million on drilling off Haifa Coast (Hebrew) )〕 In May 2002, the BG license was extended by the Oil Commissioner, on the condition that drilling begin no later than September 2003. In February 2003, the Commissioner extended the deadline to December 2004, and in December 2004 a further extension was given to June 2005.〔Isramco Negev 2 Limited Partnership FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS AT DECEMBER 31, 2004, 10-K,· EX-99.1〕 During this period, BG conducted negotiations for selling gas to the Israel Electric Company.〔(IEC confirms negotiating natural gas contract with Isramco, BG. )〕 In April 2005, BG announced that it was abandoning its stake.〔Isramco Negev 2 Limited Partnership FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS AT DECEMBER 31, 2005, 10-K,· EX-99.1〕 According to some reports, BG quit after being unable to conclude an agreement to supply gas to the Israel Electric Company.〔( March 2005, BG announced that it was quitting the Gal natural gas partnership. )〕 (Israel in mid-2005 reached an agreement to receive gas from Egypt for $2.75/mmbtu, a price that BG stated it was not willing to match.〔(BG says it will not return to Israel (Hebrew) ).〕) In May 2005, the Oil Commissioner extended the license to December 2006 and allowed the remaining partners, STX, Isramco, Dor Exploration, and Dor Chemicals to bring in the Delek-owned partnerships, Avner and Delek Drilling, on the condition that a contract for drilling be concluded by June 2006. (According to one source, Avner bought its stake from BG for one dollar〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000754393&fid=1724 )〕). Noble Energy joined as operator in 2006.〔Isramco Negev 2 Limited Partnership FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS AT DECEMBER 31, 2006, 10-K,· EX-99.1〕 In 2006, the license was extended to December 31, 2008, despite the failure to begin drilling, and despite the statutory seven-year limit on oil licenses set by Israel's Oil Law. Isramco reported in 2006 that exploratory drilling was expected to cost $69 million.〔(Isramco Negev 2 Limited Partnership FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS AT DECEMBER 31, 2006, 10-K,· EX-99.1 )〕 Drilling of Tamar 1 began in November 2008. At the time, seismic studies indicated that there was a 35% chance that the formation contained gas.The studies further indicated that if there was gas, the median estimate for the producible quantity was 107 BCM.〔(【引用サイトリンク】page=141 )〕 Tamar 1 was drilled to a depth of at a cost of $92 million.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://maya.tase.co.il/bursa/report.asp?report_cd=520461 )〕 The partners announced the discovery on January 17, 2009.〔(Delek Energy web site. )〕〔 On July 7, 2009, the partners announced a second successful appraisal drilling at Tamar 2, increasing the estimated reserves of the field by 26%.〔(Noble Energy Successfully Appraises Tamar Offshore Israel )〕 In mid-2011, four more appraisal wells were drilled, with additional gas found at Tamar 3.〔(Tamar Field--Offshore Technology )〕 In September 2011, Noble began production development.〔(A Noble boast offshore Israel )〕〔(Israel began drilling in the Tamar natural gas fields despite the presence of Turkish warships )〕 The Tamar field is considered to have proven reserves of of natural gas, while the adjoining Tamar South field has . Together, they are estimated to contain an additional 84 BCM of probable reserves and 49 BCM of possible reserves.〔(Haifa Gas Discovery Bumped to 5 Trillion Cubic Feet ) Oil In Israel, 10 February 2009〕〔 〕 At the time of discovery, the field was the largest find of gas or oil in the Levant basin of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and the largest discovery by Noble Energy. In September 2010, Noble announced that development of the Tamar field was beginning at an expected cost of $3 billion.〔(Tamar Development Begins. )〕 In March 2012 the Tamar partners signed a 15-year, US$14 billion deal with the Israel Electric Corporation to supply it with 42 billion cubic meters (BCM) of natural gas, with an option to increase the gas purchases up to $23 billion. By March 2012, the consortium developing Tamar had signed deals worth up to a total of $32 billion with six Israeli companies, committing up to 133BCM. According to a study commissioned by the government, the prices set were significantly higher than the price that would be demanded under comparable circumstances elsewhere. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Tamar gas field」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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