Special to WorldTribune.com

TEL AVIV — Israel’s offshore Tamar natural gas field could undergo an upgrade to increase capacity and build a new pipeline.

The gas field has been prepared for an upgrade of up to $2 billion by Spain’s Union Fenosa Gas. Under the project, UFG would bolster Tamar’s production capacity by drilling three wells and building a pipeline to neighboring Egypt.

According to a quarterly report released on late Nov. 19, Delek Drilling, a partner in Tamar, the consortium would finance the pipeline to Egypt. Egypt and UFG would be responsible for the continuation of the pipeline to the company’s facility in Damietta.

Under the plan, Israeli gas would be pumped to Egypt by 2017.

The project would also include the upgrade of two platforms at the Tamar field.

  Energy firm plans expansion of Israel’s Tamar gas field, with pipeline to Egypt