Murphy Oil Draws Boycott Call Over Israeli Gas Licenses

Pro-Palestinian activists who pressured Eni and Dana Petroleum to quit an Israeli offshore gas venture are now going after Murphy Oil, the Houston-based company that replaced them on Monday. The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement and its partners called on Murphy on Wednesday to give up the six Zone G exploration licenses it holds 50-50 with Israel’s Ratio Energies.

The licenses cover about 1,700 square kilometers of seabed near the Leviathan gas field, and Murphy is the operator. Israel awarded Zone G in October 2023 to Eni, Ratio and Aberdeen-based Dana, a subsidiary of state-run Korea National Oil Corporation. Eni withdrew earlier this year, citing a reallocation of investments, and Israeli financial daily Globes reported that pro-Palestinian pressure also made the company reluctant to enter Israel.