동지중해 천연가스 개발 현황과 한국의 협력 방안(Natural Gas Development in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and Its Implications for Korea)

주요 에너지 생산국의 자원 무기화와 이에 따른 천연가스 가격 변동폭 확대로 글로벌 에너지 안보 위협이 크게 확대된 가운데, 최근 천연가스전 탐사 및 개발 사업이 활발히 이루어지고 있는 동지중해 지역이 새로운 에너지 허브로 주목받고 있다. 본 연구에서는 동지중해 지역 내 천연가스 개발과 이를 둘러싼 인프라 구축 및 파생 산업 육성 현황을 살펴보고 우리나라와의 협력 시사점을 도출하였다. This study explores the current status of natural gas development in the Eastern Mediterranean region and derives its implications for Korea. Our approach encompassed a thorough review of pertinent literature and statistical data, and insightful interviews with local government officials and industry experts, conducted through field surveys and seminars. The key findings of this study are summarized as follows: First, natural gas development in the Eastern Mediterranean region has significantly increased its prominence within the global natural gas market. Egypt, holding largest natural gas reserve in the region, now surpasses major natural gas importers of Korea, including Malaysia, Oman, and Indonesia. The total natural gas reserves in the Eastern Mediterranean region are estimated at 119.1Tcf, 41.1% more than that of Australia, Korea’s largest natural gas importer. It is estimated that there are 286.2Tcf of undiscovered natural gas resources buried along the Eastern Mediterranean coast. This means that only 29.4% of the region’s total natural gas reserves have been found to date. Second, countries in the Eastern Mediterranean have made significant efforts to develop their domestic natural gas resources and to strengthen both domestic and international cooperation. In particular, Egypt, Israel, and Cyprus, major natural gas holders in the region, have been actively pursuing exploration and development and related infrastructure projects to expand their natural gas production and export capacity. Efforts are being made to promote natural gas-related industries such as petrochemicals and hydrogen. In 2019, a regional consultative body for natural gas development, the East Mediterranean Gas Forum, was launched. Since then, through a number of meetings, countries in the region have gathered to discuss specific plans and implement methods for natural gas development. There is also cooperation between Egypt and Israel in the natural gas supply chain, using Egypt’s natural gas liquefaction facilities.(the rest omitted)