TEL AVIV, Israel, Nov. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A Cost Sharing Agreement (CSA) has been executed between Levant LNG Marketing, a subsidiary of Pangea LNG B.V., and Tamar Partners.  This major milestone demonstrates the continuing progress toward the export of LNG from the Tamar and Dalit fields in the Eastern Mediterranean, 60 miles offshore from Israel.

The Tamar Partnership will participate in the cost of developing the project front end engineering and design (FEED) for a permanently moored offshore floating natural gas liquefaction vessel with onboard storage. Pangea LNG and Tamar Partners anticipate launching FEED by end of 2012 and making a final investment decision by the second half of 2013.

The floating liquefaction (FLNG) midstream solution is being developed by Pangea LNG, an LNG development and investment company owned by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME), Next Decade International and D&H Solutions AS.  Pangea LNG is a floating LNG liquefaction and storage project developer now working on projects around the globe that will connect gas suppliers to the world's most important LNG demand markets. 

The Tamar Partnership includes Noble Energy Mediterranean Ltd, Isramco Negev 2 Limited Partnership, Delek Drilling Limited Partnership, Avner Oil Exploration Limited Partnership, and DorGas Exploration Limited Partnership.  These companies are the owners and producers involved in the discovery of significant natural gas resources in the Tamar and Dalit fields where development drilling is underway. 

Gerhard Ludvigsen, a founding member of the Pangea LNG board of directors, said "the Tamar project embraces the entire value chain and balances the risk positions for the owners of hydrocarbons, the off takers and the midstream technology provider.

"The Pangea business model offers the opportunity for all stakeholders to take part in the value enhancement from gas production through the FLNG/midstream solution to the final off take of LNG.  Pangea LNG opens the potential for national oil companies and owners of small to medium size gas reserves to monetize stranded gas and take part in the value creation in the entire value chain."

Pangea LNG continues to work on off-take agreements for LNG production from the Tamar project. Pangea LNG has already executed several letters of intent with potential off takers and is in the final stage of negotiations for the long term sales and purchase agreement.

The Tamar framework agreement represents an important step in the development of what will be the first floating LNG liquefaction project in the Mediterranean basin. The Tamar and Dalit fields are located in the Levantine basin in Israeli waters.

"The Eastern Mediterranean gas fields provide a particularly good location for deploying an offshore floating LNG solution," said Kathleen Eisbrenner, Pangea LNG's chief executive officer. "The reserves are large, the climate is moderate and the location offers efficient access to significant LNG markets."

O.K. Shin, Team leader of DSME Corporate Strategy Team, noted that the vessel-mounted liquefaction system being designed will take advantage of the efficiencies of the DSME shipyard construction environment and the best practices the company has developed during many years of LNG and process vessel construction.

Pangea LNG brings together a team that generated the innovations that are at the foundation of the floating LNG sector.  DSME, the majority owner of Pangea, is one of the world's leading shipbuilders and a contractor for major energy companies providing them with offshore platforms, drilling rigs and floating production units. The company builds special purpose vessels and specializes in LNG carriers.  It constructed nine of the 11 floating LNG regasification vessels now in service.

Additional Information
Pangea LNG (North America) Holdings, LLC is a Pangea LNG B.V. company.  Pangea LNG B.V. is working on projects worldwide that have the potential to accelerate and support development of natural gas reserves.  This is being achieved primarily through use of floating liquefaction vessel technology. Pangea LNG brings together a team that was responsible for generating the innovations that are at the foundation of the floating LNG sector.  Pangea LNG B.V. is owned by NextDecade International, D&H Solutions AS and DSME.  For more information, please visit www.PangeaLNG.nl.

SOURCE Pangea LNG B.V.