By Kevin McCauley
Noble Energy has tapped Washington's top Republican lobbying firm to represent the interest of its massive operation off the shores of Israel.
The focus of Fierce, Isakowitz & Blalock's is "natural gas finds" for the Houston-based giant that has operated in Israeli waters since 1998.
Mark Isakowitz is former press secretary for Congressman Paul Gillmor and as director of federal governmental relations at the National Federation of Independent Business was credited by the National Journal for derailing President Clinton's healthcare bill.
He is joined on the Noble business by Kirk Blalock, special assistant to George Bush II and deputy to Haley Barbour when he chaired the National Republican Committee, and Kirsten Chadwick, Bush White House II legislative affairs special assistant.
Bini Zomer, director of corporate affairs at Noble's Israeli unit told the March 22 Jerusalem Post that Noble is "the only international company working in Israel in the field of exploration and supply of gas and oil to energy companies."
Its natural gas supplies about 20 percent of Israel's electrical power needs. Noble has just kicked off its first marketing campaign with the tag line, "Bringing good energy to Israel."
Noble chairman Charles Davidson believes the $3B investment to develop the Leviathan natural gas field will meet the demand of the Israel energy market for decades.
The March 30 Energy Tribune reports that the Noble holdings and other massive shale deposits in Israeli waters have the potential to "catapult Israel into the energy superpower league."
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