Exxon Mobil Considers Bidding for Oil and Gas Exploration in Israel

The world's largest oil company, Exxon Mobil, could take part in the tender that Israel will launch in June to award the right to explore oil and gas from its offshore blocks, Reuters reported.

According to a knowledgeable source, Exxon Mobil executives met with Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz in Houston this week, with talks focusing on the possibility of bidding for offshore exploration right.

The company recently acquired a $50,000 data package from the Israeli energy ministry for the tender, the source said, with an Exxon team having visited a Jerusalem center to obtain detailed information about the geology of the sub-sea rocks.