News Briefs

The amount of natural gas reserves at the "Tamar I" drilling site, 80 kilometers (50 miles) off the coast of Haifa, is 16 percent bigger than previously thought, according to a Tuesday report by the companies involved in the drilling. Tests undertaken by an outside consultant show 207 billion cubic meters of gas. The previous estimate of 178 billion, made a month ago was already 30 percent bigger than original estimates.

A statement by the companies says that the discovery frees Israel from dependence on foreign sources, and that local exploration will continue.