Surrounded by Oil, But Cut Off from Neighbours: Where Israel Gets Its Fuel?
Israel sits in close proximity to some of the world's largest oil producers — Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Iran. Yet these geographic advantages do not translate into energy access. Due to political realities and the absence of normal trade relations, Israel imports nearly all of its crude oil from distant suppliers rather than its immediate neighborhood.
~225k
barrels per day demand
70%
from Azerbaijan & Kazakhstan
1,776
km — BTC pipeline length
0
barrels from neighbors
01
The BTC Pipeline — From Baku to the Mediterranean
To meet its daily demand of roughly 200,000–250,000 barrels, Israel relies heavily on Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan — accounting for around 70% of its crude oil as of late 2025. Azerbaijan delivers crude via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, which runs 1,776 km through Georgia and Turkey. Baku is a Caspian Sea port, making it the eastern starting point of this critical corridor.
How it works: Azerbaijani crude is pumped 1,776 km from the Caspian Sea port of Baku through Georgia and eastern Turkey, arriving at the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. Once there, tankers load the crude for the final voyage to Israel via the Mediterranean Sea.
India's stake in this pipeline
The pipeline is built and maintained by BP (formerly British Petroleum). India's ONGC — through its overseas arm ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) — has invested in this project and holds a 3.1% stake. It is a strategic energy corridor because it allows oil from the Caspian Sea region to reach global markets without passing through Russia or Iran — which is why multiple countries and companies, including India, have invested in it. The entire pipeline is protected by national guards in each country it traverses.
02
Ceyhan to Haifa — The Mediterranean Tanker Leg
Once Azerbaijani crude reaches Ceyhan on Turkey's southern coast, oil tankers load the cargo and cross roughly 700 km of the eastern Mediterranean to reach Israel's northern port of Haifa. The same corridor handles Kazakh crude arriving via the Black Sea and Turkish Straits. Lebanon sit directly along this route, underscoring the geopolitical sensitivity of every tanker transit.
The final leg: The red pin marks Ceyhan — gateway from the Caspian to the Mediterranean. Tankers complete the journey to Israeli ports, where crude is received at BAZAN's Haifa refinery or Paz Oil's Ashdod facility.
03
All Suppliers — Routes & Geopolitics
🇦🇿
Azerbaijan
~40% of crude supply
Crude travels 1,776 km via the BTC pipeline through Georgia and Turkey to Ceyhan, then by tanker across the Mediterranean to Haifa. The backbone of Israeli energy security.
Pipeline + Med tanker
🇰🇿
Kazakhstan
~30% of crude supply
Exported through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) to Novorossiysk — a Black Sea port in southern Russia. From there, tankers sail through the Turkish Straits into the Mediterranean, reaching Israeli ports.
CPC Pipeline + Black Sea + Med
🇬🇦
Gabon
~8–10% of supply
A key West African supplier. Tankers depart from Port-Gentil, cross the Atlantic Ocean, pass through the Strait of Gibraltar, and enter the Mediterranean to Israeli ports. This route is notably less exposed to Middle East chokepoints.
Atlantic sea route
🇧🇷
Brazil
~8–10% of supply
An emerging significant supplier in recent years. Cargo exported from terminals near Rio de Janeiro crosses the South Atlantic (~11,000 km), passes Gibraltar, and reaches Haifa or Ashdod. Among the longest crude supply routes of any nation.
South Atlantic route
🇷🇺
Russia (indirect)
Variable — spot market
Russia has not traditionally been a major direct supplier to Israel. After the Russia–Ukraine war, global fuel flows shifted — Russian diesel and refined products were redirected away from Europe. Israel buys these via third-party traders on the global market, not through direct state-to-state agreements.
Indirect / traders
🇺🇸
United States
Military aviation fuel
The largest supplier of refined fuels — especially military-grade jet fuel and aviation fuel. Supplies are tied to strategic and military cooperation, including direct support for the Israeli Air Force. Deliveries come from U.S. Gulf Coast refineries, cross the Atlantic, and enter the Mediterranean.
Strategic military supply
04
Where Crude Becomes Fuel — Israel's Two Refineries
All imported crude ultimately flows into one of Israel's two refineries, which process it into petrol, diesel, jet fuel, and petrochemicals for domestic use and export.
BAZAN Group Refinery
Haifa · Northern Mediterranean Coast
Israel's largest refinery. Processes the bulk of crude arriving at Haifa port — the primary terminus for BTC and Mediterranean tanker traffic. Produces petrol, diesel, jet fuel, and a wide range of petrochemicals for domestic and export markets.
Paz Oil Refinery
Ashdod · Southern Mediterranean Coast
Israel's secondary refinery, located south of Tel Aviv. Handles crude for southern Israeli distribution networks. Together, both refineries cover the nation's full fuel demand from imported crude.
The Stark Contrast
Israel is geographically surrounded by energy-rich nations — yet politically and strategically cut off from them. Its energy security, therefore, depends not on proximity, but on distant partnerships and long-distance pipelines and sea routes spanning thousands of kilometres across three continents.
Data as of late 2025 · Routes approximate · Percentages estimated from reported sourcing patterns
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