The company in charge of exporting Egyptian natural gas to Israel will submit complaints for international arbitration against the Egyptian government for halting the gas supply, company sources said.
Sources from the East Mediterranean Gas Company (EMG) said the company and its shareholders will submit three complaints.
The natural gas pipeline to Israel has been attacked six times since February, forcing the exports to a halt. The attacks cost Egypt LE500 million.
US and Thai shareholders in EMG will submit the first complaint to report damages from the gas halt, the company source told Al-Masry Al-Youm. The source said the shareholders referred to agreements signed between their governments and Egypt regarding investment protection.
EMG will file the second complaint against the Egyptian Petroleum Authority and the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS), for halting the supply to the exporting company, the source added.
Another complaint, according to the source, will be filed against an Israeli electricity company, the Egyptian Petroleum Authority and EGAS, as they are responsible for guaranteeing the supply as per the contract.
Meanwhile, a Petroleum Ministry source spoke on condition of anonymity, saying no compensations will be paid to EMG shareholders without international arbitration.
Head of EGAS, Hassan al-Mahdy, said fixing the gas pipeline quickly will foil attempts by EMG for international arbitration against Egypt.
Mahdy added that getting the gas station fixed will give the impression that Egypt is doing its best to fulfill the contract’s terms.
Israel gets about 40 percent of its natural gas from Egypt under an arrangement put in place after the landmark 1979 peace accord between the two nations. Israel mostly uses coal for power generation but also has its own gas and can use diesel and fuel oil as substitutes.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
