stupid question

/ dave / arouet at winternet.com
Tue Apr 2 22:59:50 PST 2002



>> Who sells oil to Israel? I presume they're using a lot right now.

Ministry of Finance - State of Israel http://www.mof.gov.il/prospectus1/form_18kc.htm

Israel's main sources of energy are oil and coal. Israel is almost totally dependent on imported fuel for its energy requirements, since domestic production of crude petroleum and natural gas is negligible and Israel has no domestic production of coal. Most of Israel's foreign oil is purchased in the open market. Israel has two arrangements that secure its oil supply. Egypt has committed to sell Israel at least 2 million tons of oil each year (at market prices), through an arrangement established as part of the peace treaty between the two nations. In addition, the United States has agreed to supply Israel with oil pursuant to the Oil Supply Arrangement with the United States, in the event of a failure of Israel's oil supply.

Israel has succeeded in significantly reducing its dependence on oil for the production of electricity by switching to coal-fired power stations located along Israel's coastline, and by expanding a facility in Ashkelon. All of the coal used in Israel is imported. Israel purchases most of its coal from South Africa, the United States, Colombia and Australia, but it also purchases coal from other countries, including China. The shift to coal has not had a significant environmental impact in Israel, because the majority of coal used in Israel is low sulfur coal.

In 1997, the Government and IEC jointly decided to establish a natural gas infrastructure in Israel. As the first stage of this initiative, IEC is negotiating the purchase of natural gas to be used in IEC's power stations. The second stage will include the selection by Government tender of a company to establish and operate the natural gas infrastructure in Israel.

Israel continues to pursue alternative energy sources, such as solar energy. However, to date, the only widespread commercial use of solar power is for solar-powered water heaters, which provide less than 1% of all Israeli electric power requirements.

(...)

(BTW I also noted on another webpage that the majority of Israel's oil passes through ports in Italy.)

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/ dave /



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