Landrieu Welcomes Israeli Delegation to D.C., La. for Oil and Gas Exploration, Gulf Lease Sale

Press Release

This week, a high-ranking delegation of Israeli officials is visiting Washington, D.C., and Louisiana to meet with federal officials and industry experts to help grow Israel's burgeoning oil and gas industry. The delegation's visit is a result of a meeting between U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the first ever oil and gas trade mission to Israel in October 2011. In addition to other meetings and events throughout the week, the delegation today attended the Central Gulf of Mexico oil and gas lease sale in New Orleans and met with Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar. This visit is part of Sen. Landrieu's continued work collaborating with Israel on oil and gas development.

"Israel's historic gas discovery of more than over 27 trillion cubic feet is a game changer, both economically, and geo-politically - the U.S. is eager to share our expertise to help this critical ally successfully develop these resources. With our thousands of miles of pipeline and arguably the most advanced offshore oil and gas industry in the world, Louisiana is a natural fit for this delegation to see where the rubber really meets the road in the energy industry. By seeing our work first-hand and learning from our experiences -- both our successes and missteps -- Israel will be in a stronger position as it continues to grow its energy industry," Sen. Landrieu said. "I am committed to continued collaboration between the U.S. and Israel and I look forward to growing our relationship on future visits."

Earlier this week, the delegation met with Sen. Landrieu in D.C. The Senator also worked with the State Department to arrange for the delegation to visit Port Fourchon and the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility in Cameron Parish tomorrow.

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