Israel’s recently discovered offshore natural gas is generating momentum for politically important supply deals that could alleviate energy shortages in Jordan and Egypt. The drilling consortium led by Israel’s Delek Group Ltd. and Texas-based Noble Energy said Wednesday it signed a deal to supply gas to chemical companies in Jordan, marking Israel’s first energy export deal and bolstering ties between the neighboring countries. The same offshore drilling group is holding initial talks on a much larger supply deal with Egypt, people familiar with the matter said. Drillers announced two Mediterranean finds in recent years with some 650 billion cubic meters of gas. Flush with energy reserves that could last for decades, Israel has been considering exports to several countries in the eastern Mediterranean including Cyprus and Turkey. Despite the modest size of the deal with Jordan, it has important geopolitical implications. It was the focus of talks between King […]