Israel heads for pipelines instead of LNG hub
Investment plans scrapped and domestic opposition to a land based hub means Israel will focus on a regional pipeline network
The prospects for a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) hub in the eastern Mediterranean are now dim. Instead, Israel looks likely to emerge at the centre of a regional pipeline network, using its abundant offshore gas reserves to build strategic and economic ties with its neighbours that were unthinkable just three years ago. Woodside Petroleum's decision in May to scrap plans to buy a stake in the Noble Energy-led consortium developing the 540 billion cubic metres (cm) Leviathan field has killed -- for now -- the idea of an Israeli LNG export business. Opposition within the country to a land-based plant meant a floating facility was the only viable option. Woodside's LNG capital and expertise,
Also in this section
13 March 2026
Brussels is again weighing a cap on gas prices amid the Hormuz crisis, but the measure could backfire by deterring the LNG cargoes Europe urgently needs
12 March 2026
Emergency oil stocks provide a last line of defence to oil market shocks, so the IEA’s unprecedented 400m bl release represents something of a double-edged sword
12 March 2026
LPG could rapidly expand access to clean cooking across Africa and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths from indoor air pollution each year, but infrastructure shortages and regulatory barriers are slowing investment and market growth
11 March 2026
Missiles over Dubai and disruption in Hormuz are testing the emirate’s reputation—and shaking the energy hub at the centre of the Gulf economy
