Houston-based Noble Energy Inc. (NYSE: NBL) sold its 43.5% stake in Israel's Tamar Petroleum Ltd. after announcing last week that it would help finance a gas export deal with Egypt, the Israeli business daily The Marker reported Oct. 3.

Noble's sale of 40 million Tamar shares, at 15.50 shekels (US$4.26) each, took place on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, The Marker said in the unsourced report.

A Noble representative in Israel declined to comment.

Tamar shares were up 2.1% at 16.39 shekels in midday trade.

On Sept. 27, Noble, Israel's Delek Drilling and the Egyptian East Gas Co. said they would buy a 39% stake in the EMG pipeline to enable a landmark $15 billion deal to export natural gas from Israel to Egypt to begin next year.

The $518 million purchase will enable the supply of 64 billion cubic meters of gas over 10 years from Israel's offshore Tamar and Leviathan fields.

Delek and Noble, which are partners in the fields, will each pay $185 million while the Egyptian East Gas Co. will pay $148 million. (US$1 = 3.6402 shekels)