Israel today invited bids for 24 new offshore oil-and-gas exploration licences it hopes will bring more major finds in the Mediterranean as it strives to become an energy exporter.
"We are offering for exploration half of our economic waters in 24 blocks," Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said, announcing the offer which closes on April 21.
"Estimates are that most of the natural gas in Israel's economic waters is yet to be found," he said at a news conference, adding the US energy department shared that view.
The government hopes the new blocks turn up discoveries comparable to the Tamar and Leviathan natural gas fields found off its coast in recent years.
Israel hopes the Leviathan field and others to come will eventually allow it to become a gas exporter, which could provide it with additional leverage in the turbulent Middle East.
In September neighbouring Jordan signed a contract to buy gas from Leviathan for the first time and Steinitz said there had been contacts with the Egyptians over a possible sales deal.
"I think that the Egyptian option realistically exists," he said, without giving details.
He said that prospects of a major gas deal had also helped reconciliation talks with Turkey after a bitter six-year rift.
Last month, Steinitz met his Turkish counterpart Berat Albayrak in Istanbul.
It was the highest level official meeting since the two countries normalised ties in June after a 2010 crisis triggered by Israel's deadly storming of a Gaza-bound ship.
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