Israel cuts gas exports to Egypt by 23% for Tamar and Leviathan maintenance

Israel has reduced natural gas exports to Egypt by around 23% to 850mn cubic feet per day (cfd) due to partial maintenance work at its Tamar and Leviathan offshore fields in the Mediterranean, two Egyptian government officials told Asharq Business on May 31.

Israel's energy ministry confirmed the works were underway, describing them as a routine part of operating any complex engineering system carried out with regulatory approval for a period of less than one week.

The temporary cut comes against a difficult backdrop for Egypt's energy balance. The country currently produces around 4bn cfd of natural gas against domestic demand of approximately 6.2bn cfd, a gap that widens to 7.2bn cfd during the summer months as power stations draw more fuel. Egypt has been importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes to bridge the shortfall.

The North African country is pressing ahead with plans to lift domestic output to around 6.6bn cfd by 2030, a near-65% increase on current levels, alongside drilling 14 exploration wells in the Mediterranean in 2026 to assess reserves estimated at roughly 12 trillion cubic feet.

The maintenance interruption follows a landmark deal signed in August 2025 in which NewMed Energy, a partner in the Leviathan field, agreed with Egypt's Ocean Energy to add approximately 4.6 trillion cubic feet to their existing supply agreement, extending deliveries to 2040. The additional volumes are to be delivered in two phases, with the larger tranche of up to 3.9 trillion cubic feet contingent on meeting investment and infrastructure requirements.