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.