britain's bg International Limited has discovered 594,645 cubic metres of natural gas in the first well it has drilled off the coast of Israel. " bg International has discovered gas in the Or-1 well, the first well it has drilled, which is in the Med Yavna block,' a spokesperson for the company said, adding that the gas was of high quality.

The discovery is the company's first since gaining a 50 per cent stake in the country's offshore drilling rights. The spokesperson said bg would drill a second well in Med Yavna, Or-South, before moving on to the other fields.

"The Or-1 well has been tested. After we finish drilling there, we are going to go on and drill another well, Or-South,' the spokesperson added. The rights involve five Israeli offshore exploration licences covering 2,000 square kilometre in the Mediterranean Sea area, the spokesperson added.