Gazprom makes deal for Israeli LNG

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MOSCOW, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- Russian natural gas company Gazprom secured a 20-year deal to sell liquefied natural gas from the Tamar gas field offshore Israel, the Delek Group said.

Delek's subsidiaries said a heads of agreement deal was signed by Levant Marketing Corp. and Gazprom's trading arm for the sale of 3 million tons per year of LNG from the giant Tamar natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea.

Delek said gas from Tamar would be developed using a floating LNG facility in a way that doesn't affect the supply of natural gas to the Israeli market.

Delek in January said natural gas deliveries from the Tamar natural gas field were expected by April. The field is estimated to hold at least 8 trillion cubic feet of gas.

Vitaly Vasiliev, the chief executive of Gazprom's trading division, said the deal solidifies Gazprom's position in the region.

"This is an important milestone for strengthening Gazprom's position in the global LNG market," he was quoted by Russia's state-owned news agency RIA Novosti as saying.

Gazprom aims to diversify its exports options through pipeline alternatives.