2012-04-19 18:03

Israel may become future gas supplier to Lithuania

Israel's Minister of Energy and Water Supplies Uzi Landau said in Vilnius on Thursday that his country could supply natural gas to Lithuania in the future, adding that this was unlikely to happen before 2018.
Dujos
gas / Laurio Viksnės/BFL nuotr.

"Perhaps Israel will be one of the future suppliers of natural gas for Lithuania," Landau told Vilnius journalists.

In his words, the possibility could be discussed in more detail after Israel's government approves the strategy on gas industry this summer. However, the project could take six years, considering the necessary changes of the law and development of infrastructure.

"I believe the supply of gas will be something possible as of 2018 and beyond," the Israeli official said.

Lithuania currently imports all gas from Russia via Gazprom pipeline which crosses Belarus. However, a liquefied gas terminal should be built in seaport of Klaipėda by the end of 2014 to enable importing gas by sea.

"The issue, of course, will be how we bring that natural gas to Lithuania. Sometimes you can do it with LNG, sometimes you have swap type of agreements," Landau said.

Over the past years, two large gas deposits in the sea have been discovered in Israel. The country is considering the share of gas to be consumed in the country and the portion intended for export, mainly to European countries.

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