Chevron has declared force majeure at Israel’s Leviathan natural gas field after the government ordered a temporary suspension of production on security grounds, marking the second time in less than a year that hostilities with Iran have disrupted Eastern Mediterranean gas flows.
Israel’s energy ministry directed operator Chevron to shut in Leviathan following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequent retaliatory action across the region. Partner NewMed Energy said the suspension followed guidance from security authorities, noting that regulators instructed the consortium to adjust operations in line with evolving security conditions, including the possibility of temporary production halts as the situation develops.
Energean also confirmed that it had been ordered to suspend production at the Karish field.
Leviathan is Israel’s largest gas field, supplying Israel, Egypt, and Jordan. In the first nine months of 2025, the field sold 8.1 billion cubic meters of gas to the three markets, with Egypt accounting for more than half at 4.8 Bcm.
The shutdown echoes June’s disruption, when Israel halted Leviathan and Karish during a previous escalation. That interruption forced Egypt to curtail gas supplies to some industries, including fertilizer producers. Analysts now expect Cairo to increase LNG imports again to offset the loss of Israeli volumes.
The timing is ironic. The Leviathan consortium recently approved a $2.3 billion first phase of an expansion project designed to lift capacity from about 12 Bcm per year to roughly 21 Bcm annually. The field holds an estimated 22.9 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas and underpins a $35 billion long-term export deal with Egypt running through 2040.
By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com
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