Opinion by Mathew Carr
The British press love to cut down a tall poppy. The global press do, too.
I would never do such a thing.
The latest “victim” of this cutting down is former Lord Peter Mandelson, who was recently removed as Britain’s ambassador to the Trump administration after being appointed there by current UK PM Sir Keir Starmer.
I did some research of the Epstein files and the reporting there of …and spoke to some wise friends …and what’s fair to say is that Mandelson was being positioned in 2013 (by Epstein potentially) for a role with energy company Paz, which might have had commercial exposure to contested energy resources (oil and natural gas) offshore Gaza.
Contested by Palestinians.
In 2013, UK Labour was the opposition party in Britain, 3,500 k. or 2,175 miles away.
What we should not say is that Mandelson/UK Labour tried to steal Palestinian gas because that is not safe legally or factually.
Kudos to Middle East Eye:
First bit of MEE story (the whole thing is worth reading):
Convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein told former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak to task former British minister Lord Peter Mandelson with selling Israel’s largest fuel company in 2013.
Newly released files reveal that the notorious paedophile emailed Mandelson on 2 August 2013 saying “I asked ehud to call you re paz in israel”.
Paz Oil Company held 30 percent of the Israeli fuel market in 2012. In 2020 it would be listed on the United Nations list of companies operating in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Barak, who was Israeli prime minister from 1999 to 2001, served as its defence minister from 2007 to 2013 under the governments of Ehud Olmert and Benjamin Netanyahu.
He left office in March 2013, just months before Epstein’s email to Mandelson.
(Updating)
Feb: 5, 2026
NOTES
CarrZee from Nov. 13, 2023:
ChatGPT notes
Here’s an overview of the Gaza Marine natural gas field and neighbouring offshore gas resources in the eastern Mediterranean — including how it sits relative to Israel’s bigger fields like Tamar and Leviathan:
🗺️ What the maps show
1. Eastern Mediterranean gas geology
This broader map highlights the region’s major discoveries — including gas fields near Israel, Cyprus and Lebanon — and situates Gaza Marine in the larger Levant Basin hydrocarbon system.
2. Israeli offshore gas infrastructure
This map (focused on Israeli state licences) shows fields like Tamar, Leviathan and others that are currently producing — giving context to the broader regional gas picture near Gaza.
3. Field distribution and maritime zones
A regional map illustrating prospective fields and disputed maritime areas in the eastern Mediterranean. Gaza Marine lies south of the main cluster of Israeli fields.
4. Levant Basin focus
Here’s a simplified look from the U.S. Energy Information Administration showing the Levant Basin — where Gaza Marine and other fields are located — with neighbouring countries’ offshore zones.
5. Palestine’s maritime claims and disputes
This map overlays the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) claimed by Palestine and Israel alongside licence areas and gas fields, illustrating why development has been politically complex.
🛢️ Key spatial takeaways
📍 Gaza Marine lies roughly 30–35 km off the Gaza Strip coast in the Levant Basin, which is geologically rich in natural gas.
📍 Israel’s major producing fields like Tamar and Leviathan lie further north in the same basin and have been developed more fully by energy companies, boosting regional gas output.
📍 Maritime jurisdictions overlap and are disputed: Gaza’s EEZ claims under international law and Israeli offshore licence blocks are shown in maps involving shaded zones, which helps explain why Gaza Marine’s development has been administratively and politically uncertain.
———
Here’s a **fact‑based list of oil and gas companies and related entities that have had interests or involvement in offshore Gaza (particularly the Gaza Marine gas field) or nearby Mediterranean fields that affect the broader region’s hydrocarbon landscape:
🛢️ 1. BG Group / Shell
BG Group (British Gas) was originally the operator and majority stakeholder in the Gaza Marine offshore licence awarded by the Palestinian Authority (PA) in 1999. BG drilled the discovery wells and held up to 90 % of the licence prior to field development. After BG’s acquisition by Shell, the licence passed to Shell (Royal Dutch Shell). Shell subsequently divested its entire stake in Gaza Marine in 2018, transferring its interest to the Palestine Investment Fund (PIF) and partners.
👉 So BG Group (and by acquisition Shell) are the primary companies historically tied to Gaza’s offshore resources.
🛢️ 2. Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC)
CCC, a large Athens‑based construction and energy firm, has held an equity stake alongside BG/Shell in the Gaza Marine licence since the original PA agreement. Under the restructured licence after Shell’s exit, CCC is expected to hold about 27.5 % of the development licence, with the remainder held by PIF and an international operator.
🛢️ 3. Palestine Investment Fund (PIF)
When Shell exited the field, the Palestine Investment Fund acquired rights and now holds a major share of the Gaza Marine licence under the new structure. PIF is not a multinational oil company but a sovereign investment body with key stakes in the field.
🛢️ 4. Prospective International Operators (e.g., Energean)
Companies have publicly expressed interest in stepping in as the international operator for Gaza Marine once political and regulatory conditions allow. For example: Energean, a Greek oil and gas company, said it was ready to take a 45 % stake and operate the field if both Israeli and Palestinian authorities approve.
These companies have expressed readiness but have not formally secured an operating position yet.
🛢️ 5. Egyptian Consortium / EGAS
An Egyptian consortium led by the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) has been negotiating to develop Gaza Marine in partnership with the PA, though it’s not a traditional “oil supermajor.”
This reflects state‑linked national energy companies rather than private multinational oil firms.
🛢️ 6. Other Companies in the Eastern Mediterranean (Indirectly Relevant)
While not directly involved with Gaza Marine, several international oil and gas players hold licences for offshore fields near Israel and surrounding waters, which influence regional gas dynamics:
BP (British Petroleum) — awarded exploration licences in Israeli offshore waters. NewMed Energy, Socar (State Oil Company of Azerbaijan) — part of offshore exploration bids in the broader Israeli economic zone. Chevron — major partner in Israel’s Leviathan and Tamar gas fields (important neighbors to Gaza Marine).
Important note: These companies are not directly involved in Gaza Marine’s licence, but their activities in neighbouring eastern Mediterranean blocks are relevant to the broader hydrocarbon geography.
✅ Summary — Who Has Held or Expressed Interest Offshore Gaza
Historically/Structurally connected to Gaza Marine:
BG Group / Shell (operator, original licence holder) Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) (partner) Palestine Investment Fund (PIF) (major current shareholder) Energean (potential future operator interest) EGAS‑linked Egyptian consortium (partner negotiations)
Other major energy companies operating nearby (not Gaza‑Marine licence holders):
BP (offshore exploration licences in nearby waters) NewMed Energy, Socar (offshore exploration licences) Chevron (Leviathan/Tamar fields)
[…] Why we can’t quite say that UK Labour’s Mandelson tried to steal Palestine’s natur… […]