Cairo — Egyptian fertilizer producers were forced to halt operations on Friday due to a drop in natural gas imports from Israel, industry sources told Reuters.
They said major Israeli gas fields had suspended operations following Israel’s military strikes strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities and missile factories.
In response, an emergency plan was enacted prioritising gas allocations, including cutting supply to some industries, Egypt’s Petroleum Ministry said in a statement.
Power stations have ramped up their use of fuel oil to maximum available levels, the ministry said, and some plants are being switched to diesel to help protect the stability of the gas network and avoid power load reductions.
The ministry did not provide a date for when gas supply might return to normal, the sources said.
Leviathan and Karish, two of Israel’s main gas fields, were closed on Friday. A third, Tamar, remained operational, one gas analyst told Reuters.
The Israeli Energy Ministry told Reuters that there are disruptions to the regular supply of natural gas, which have, among other consequence.
