On 22 July 2020, it was announced that ATP Oil & Gas Corporation will withdraw from its participation in the Shimshon (I/18) offshore lease due to its current financial situation. ATP's 5% interest in the lease will be assigned to the other partners. Once the transaction is finalised, which is subject to the approval of the Commissioner of Petroleum Affairs in the Ministry of Energy, participants in the lease will be AGR Petroleum Services Holding AS 5% (operator), Isramco Negev 2 Ltd Partnership 52.77%, Naphta Israeli Oil Company Ltd 21.122%, Israel Oil Company Ltd Partnership 10.554% and Modiâin Energy Partnership Ltd 10.544%.   The Israeli Ministry of Energy approved a boundary change for Shimshon (I/18) on 19 March 2020. The area change is conditional on compliance with a new work plan for the licence which specifies that the partners must conduct a new 3D seismic survey over the new licence area before 30 September 2020, determine a drilling location and submit a geological prospect for drilling by 30 September 2021, sign a drilling contract prior to 30 September 2022 and drill a new well in the licence by 31 December 2022. A 3D seismic survey was subsequently completed in the lease in July 2020. The partners in the licence had applied for a boundary change and to update the work plan for the lease on 9 February 2020. Interests in the licence before the withdrawal of ATP were AGR Petroleum Services Holding AS 5% (operator), Isramco Negev 2 Ltd Partnership 50%, Naphta Israeli Oil Company Ltd 20%, Israel Oil Co 10%, Modiâin Energy Partnership Ltd 10% and ATP Oil & Gas Corp 5%. The lease contains the Shimshon 1 discovery well which was spudded in April 2012. The well reached a TD of 4,429m and was officially confirmed as a gas discovery on 1 August 2012.
Israel (Levantine B.) Shimshon (I/18) op. by EQUITAL (27%), OTHERS (27%), JOEL (27%), NESS EN (10%), ATP (5%), PT SERV GP (5%)