Chevron Halts Leviathan Operations After Security Directive, Pausing 8.1Bcm Supply
Chevron has declared force majeure at the Leviathan gas field off Israel after a government directive halted operations over security concerns following regional conflict. The suspension pauses production that supplied 8.1 bcm in the first nine months of 2025 and delays a planned $2.3bn expansion to 21 bcm annual capacity.
1. Chevron Declares Force Majeure at Leviathan
Chevron announced force majeure at the Leviathan natural gas field after an Israeli government directive ordered a halt to operations due to heightened security risks following US-Israeli military activity and regional retaliation. The suspension affects field operations located 1,645 meters underwater in the Levantine Basin, 130 kilometers west of Haifa, spanning 330 square kilometers under the Rachel and Amit licenses.
2. Impact on Supply and Existing Agreements
Production was halted after delivering 8.1 billion cubic meters in the first nine months of 2025, including 4.8 bcm to Egypt under a $35 billion export agreement through 2040. The pause follows a similar disruption under last year’s Iran-related hostilities, which previously led Egypt to curtail supplies to domestic industries such as fertilizer manufacturing.
3. Expansion Project Delayed by Suspension
The consortium recently approved a $2.3 billion expansion to increase capacity from 12 bcm to 21 bcm annually, with Chevron Mediterranean holding a 39.66% stake alongside NewMed Energy at 45.34% and Ratio Energies at 15%. Module fabrication contracts for the expansion were awarded to Hanwha Ocean, now subject to revised operational timelines.
4. Future Guidance and Security Monitoring
The Commissioner of Petroleum Affairs has authority to issue additional operational guidelines and may implement rolling production halts based on ongoing security assessments. Chevron has been instructed to prepare adaptable operations, underscoring potential for intermittent suspensions until regional stability improves.