據管道&天然氣雜志網3月9日開羅報道，以色列能源部長周二表示，一條海底管道將連接以色列利維坦氣田（Leviathan）和埃及液化天然氣(LNG)終端，這將使以色列對埃及的天然氣出口能力翻番。

以色列從去年年初開始通過一條現有的天然氣管道向埃及出口天然氣，這條管道在陸路穿越西奈半島北部之前，一直在近海運行。這些天然氣可以在埃及的 Idku 和Damietta工廠液化，然后再出口到歐洲或亞洲。

上個月，兩國表示已同意規劃第二條管道。

以色列能源部長Yuval Steinitz在一次采訪中表示，兩國政府將推動這條海底管道，以使我們能夠向埃及液化天然氣設施輸送的天然氣數量翻一番。

距離以色列海岸130公里(合80英里)的利維坦氣田，已經為以色列國內市場供應天然氣，并向約旦和埃及出口天然氣。其股東包括雪佛龍公司和Delek鉆井公司。

Steinitz稱，最終，這取決于相關公司的決定，但由于這是非常現實的，我相信這將需要一到兩年的時間，你應該會看到這樣的管道。

當被問及新管道的容量時，他補充道，我認為，一開始，我們說的可能是100億立方米/年，但未來可能會增加。

Steinitz在開羅出席東地中海天然氣論壇會議時表示，他樂觀地認為，歐洲對天然氣的需求將足以使額外的出口至少在未來15年內可行，而印度需求的快速增長也提供了一個充滿希望的市場。

郝芬 譯自 管道&天然氣雜志網

原文如下：

Subsea Pipeline Could Double Israeli Gas Exports to Egypt

A subsea pipeline that would connect Israel's Leviathan gas field to Egyptian liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals could double Israel's gas export capacity to Egypt, the Israeli energy minister said on Tuesday.

Israel started exporting gas to Egypt at the beginning of last year through an existing pipeline that runs offshore before crossing the north of the Sinai Peninsula overland. The gas can be liquefied at Egyptian plants of Idku and Damietta and re-exported to Europe or Asia.

Last month the two countries said they had agreed to plan the second pipeline.

The governments would promote the subsea pipeline "in order to double the amount of gas that we can send to the Egyptian LNG facilities," Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said in an interview.

Leviathan field, located 130 km (80 miles) off Israel's coast, already supplies the Israeli domestic market and exports gas to Jordan and Egypt. Its shareholders include Chevron Corp and Delek Drilling LP.

"At the end of the day, it's up to the companies involved to decide, but since it's very realistic, I believe that it will take a year or two and you should see such a pipeline," Steinitz said.

Asked what capacity the new pipeline would have, he added: "I think to start with, we're speaking about a possible 10 bcm (billion cubic meters annually), but it might increase in the future."

Steinitz, in Cairo for a meeting of the East Mediterranean Gas Forum, said he was optimistic that demand for gas in Europe would be sufficient to make additional exports viable for at least the next 15 years, and that more rapidly growing demand in India also provided a promising market.