Chevron says Hezbollah hit Israeli gas facilities prior to ceasefire
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Chevron Corporation's CEO Mike Wirth says the facilities have been targeted by missiles from Hezbollah.
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An oil platform in the Israeli offshore Leviathan gas field is seen from on board the Israeli Navy Ship Atzmaut as a submarine patrols, in the Mediterranean Sea, on September 1, 2021 (AP)
Chevron Corporation's Israeli gas operations were targeted by Hezbollah prior to the implementation of the US-backed ceasefire plan with "Israel" late last month, Bloomberg reported, citing CEO Mike Wirth.
“These facilities have been targeted by rockets and missiles from Hezbollah,” Wirth said in a discussion with the Atlantic Council on Friday.
“The naval version of the Iron Dome has proven to be effective in interdicting," he claimed, adding, "We’ve had autonomous underwater attacks as well.”
Bloomberg noted that Chevron has halted its Leviathan and Tamar natural gas production platforms in the eastern Mediterranean multiple times amid the war.
It mentioned that these platforms serve as vital energy sources for "Israel", Jordan, and Egypt, although supply disruptions have not been prolonged.
Gas production blow expected amid war expansion: Globes
A Globes report back in July revealed that "Israel" was bracing for a blow dealt to its gas production.
The potential impact of the war on gas production platforms was highlighted after October 7, when the Tamar platform was out of commission for a month. Gas from the Leviathan reservoir that was intended for export had to be diverted for local usage, Globes claimed.
The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and the Israeli Navy coordinate action between them concerning the gas platforms, and where necessary decide on halting production.
It suggested at the time that an all-out battle with Hezbollah, which would result in the halting of Karish production, would result in shockwaves in "Israel's" energy market and also impact Jordan and Egypt, which rely on Israeli gas imports, because "Israel" would be forced to seek alternative supplies for its own requirements.
Karish is the only production platform whose output is entirely for the domestic market as it supplied 34% of local consumption last year.
A true danger to the Leviathan platform, according to Globes, would be far more serious. If both Karish and Leviathan are shut down, "Israel" would have to modify the fuel mix for its power plants, and diesel and coal will be significantly more expensive than natural gas.
