Egypt’s Petroleum Ministry expects Israeli gas imports to rise sharply to 850 million cubic feet per day within a week, once production at the Tamar offshore field resumes, a senior source at the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company/EGAS told Al Manassa.
The Tamar field, operated by US energy giant Chevron, was shut down on Oct. 22 for a 12-day maintenance period, halting output and triggering a steep drop in gas exports to Egypt.
The EGAS source, who requested anonymity, said current Israeli gas imports total around 400 million cubic feet per day, but volumes will gradually increase to about 1 billion cubic feet per day, returning to pre-shutdown levels.
In 2019, Egypt and Israel signed a landmark agreement for the export of 60 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Egypt through 2030. The deal was amended in August 2025 to extend supply until 2040 and double volumes to 130 billion cubic meters.
However, the implementation of the revised accord was frozen in September by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, citing tensions over Israel’s war on Gaza.
Last week, a statement from Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen’s office acknowledged US pressure to finalize the export deal, though Cohen said he would not sign any agreement until Israel’s “strategic interests” were secured. His position reportedly led to the cancellation of a planned visit by US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm to Israel, according to The Washington Post.
Exports will resume under the original 2019 agreement rather than the amended deal, the official confirmed to Al Manassa. He added that Egypt imported two cargoes of liquefied natural gas last week to offset reduced Israeli supply, each shipment carrying nearly 160,000 cubic meters.
Egypt currently relies on external sources for 35% to 40% of its daily gas needs, while domestic output stands at around 4.2 billion cubic feet per day, covering roughly 65% of consumption.
