(I'm sure that there are other countries surrounding Israel besides Lebanon that wouldn't want to see Israel become self-sufficient in energy nor want see it become an exporter of gas and oil.)
Potential of 4 Billion Barrels of Oil Offshore
More optimistic reports continue to flow from the giant Leviathan energy field off the Haifa coast. Following previous higher estimates of gas and “signs of oil,” the latest report points to a potential of 4 billion barrels of “black gold.”
The ramifications of the discovery are immense. If the estimates materialize, Israel will become self-sufficient in energy, enjoy a boon of employment for engineers and laborers, and will become an exporter of gas and oil.
Hizbullah and Lebanon are claiming that the Leviathan reserves are in Lebanese territorial waters, and have threatened war with Israel over the energy field.
FULL STORY at
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/139364
New Survey Indicates Large Oil Field Buried Under Negev Sand
A new preliminary geological survey indicates 26 million barrels of recoverable oil—worth $2 billion—may be sitting underneath the sandy soil in the area of two kibbutzim in the Western Negev, near Gaza.FULL STORY at