[20180301]IN10864_东地中海的紧张局势集中在能源政治上.pdf

CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress INSIGHTINSIGHTi i Tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean Focus on the Politics of Energy Vincent L. Morelli Section Research Manager March 1, 2018 Cypriot (Greek and Turkish) interest in energy exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean began in 1998 after Noble Energy, a Texas-based energy company, discovered a large natural gas deposit in the Levant Basin. The location is in waters considered part of Israels exclusive economic zone (EEZ) but bordering parts of the Republic of Cypruss (RoCs) EEZ. In 2007, the RoC granted Noble Energy a license to explore for gas in an area identified as block 12, or the “Aphrodite” field within its EEZ. In 2011, Noble Energy announced the discovery of natural gas in block 12. Subsequently, the RoC held three more rounds of licensing for additional exploration in its other blocks (see Figure 1). Although no Cypriot gas has yet been extracted and none is expected to be until perhaps 2020 or later, the RoCs strategy is to combine its gas reserves with those of Israel, and perhaps with that of a new discovery in Egyptian waters, to create a new Eastern Mediterranean energy supply market. Cyprus