Israeli minister on natural gas roadshow, points to Egypt as export market and regional hub: Israeli energy minister Yuval Steinitz is currently taking part in an investor roadshow in Singapore and London to drum up interest in Israel’s next round of licensing for offshore natural gas deposits, pointing to Egypt as a potential export market and a shipping point for its exports to Europe via liquefied natural gas terminals, Reuters reported on Thursday. Having long been confounded by regulatory challenges and demands that natural gas be retained for domestic use, Steinitz insisted that “the regulation is fixed, generally speaking.” Steinitz also outlined the oft-repeated possible pipelines running either to Turkey or to Greece through Cyprus, the latter of which would be complicated by Turkey-dominated Northern Cyprus’ objections. As we noted last week, Egypt signed a preliminary agreement with Cyprus on Wednesday to import gas from the offshore Aphrodite gasfield via direct subsea pipeline.

Meanwhile: Egypt is expected to sign a Mediterranean border realignment treaty with Greece this month, government sources tell Al Shorouk. The move is part of a wider regional border demarcation agreements between Egypt, Greece, Cyprus and Israel to cooperate on natural gas extraction in the East Mediterranean. Turkey may be a potential sticking point in the agreement as it has raised objections over two islands which may part of the demarcation, according to diplomats.