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Gas Output from Israel's Leviathan Limited on Well InspectionsEnergy Monitor Worldwide Gas Output from Israel's Leviathan Limited on Well InspectionsGas production from the giant Leviathan field offshore Israel has been curtailed by an order from the country's energy ministry after an issue with a subsea pipeline was detected during a routine inspection. Project partner Delek Drilling said Sunday the temporary limiting of gas production from Leviathan -- which only started up at the end of 2019 -- would not however impact the designed ramp-up of output into the summer. Delek said a "minor tremor" was discovered in a short section of pipe of around 30 meters in length called a "jumper", which connects each wellhead directly to the pipeline laid on the seabed. "As a result, production from the wells was limited in order to examine the nature and scope of the tremor and whether it deviates from the original planning," Delek said in a statement. Leviathan -- operated by the US' Noble Energy -- has four wells with a production capacity of 400 MMcf/d each. The energy ministry in a statement said that, in order to reduce and minimize vibrations, the quantities of gas extracted from the wells were reduced by about 40% of the maximum output. "The quantity will only be increased with the approval of the ministry after conducting the required tests," the ministry said. Delek said that so far one out of four production wells had been examined "with no irregular findings" so the production capacity from this well was increased while inspections continue at the other wells. Production profile Delek said the reduction in production was in any event in line with the planned ramp-up of output from the field. "It was planned that during the initial period of activity that the total production capacity from Leviathan would be limited to 700-850 MMcf/d in the framework of a gradual ramp-up to full production capacity," Delek said. "After completion of the inspection of all of the project's systems and completion of integration of additional systems in the platform, the partners intend -- in coordination with the energy ministry -- to gradually increase the production capacity up to around 1.2 Bcf/d toward the summer months," it said. Delek and its partners -- Noble and Israel's Ratio Oil -- started production from Leviathan, which holds 22 Tcf (620 Bcm) of recoverable gas reserves, on December 31. Delek said the detection of the issue did not affect the supply of gas to customers of the Leviathan partners. First exports to Jordan's NEPCO began on January 1 and to Egypt on January 14 under a long-term agreement with Egyptian gas supplier Dolphinus Holdings. "This event is not expected to have a material effect on the Leviathan project's production system," Delek said, adding that it did expect the event to have a material effect on the forecasted annual sales from Leviathan. 2020 Global Data Point. |
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