Jerusalem, May 18 (IANS): Israel's natural gas exports to Egypt and Jordan increased sharply in 2022, Israel's Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure said.

The total natural gas exported by Israel to Egypt and Jordan rose reached 9.21 billion cubic metre (BCM) in 2022, said an annual report written by the Natural Gas Authority at the Ministry on Wednesday, reviewing the developments in the Israeli gas economy.

Israel exported to Egypt 5.81 BCM of natural gas in 2022, reflecting a jump of 37 per cent from 2021, and 3.4 BCM to Jordan, an increase of 16.8 per cent, according to the report.

The main reason for the increases is the expansion of natural gas production from Israel's largest natural gas field Leviathan in the Mediterranean Sea, about 120 km off Israel's northern shores, Xinhua news agency reported.

Due to the expansion of gas exports to Egypt, Israel is building a 46 km underwater gas pipeline, off Israel's southern coast, the Ministry noted.

Other gas supply infrastructures will be built in the southern Negev desert near the Egyptian border, as approved by the Israeli government earlier this month.

The report stated that following the increase in natural gas production from the Tamar field, located near Leviathan, consumption in Israel's local economy rose by three per cent year-on-year in 2022, reaching 12.71 BCM, with 80 per cent of the amount being used by the electricity sector.