Yigal Landau is a businessman and the CEO of Ratio Oil Exploration. In 1992, he co-founded Ratio along with his father and others to focus on oil exploration in Israel. While early efforts focused on onshore exploration, Ratio shifted to exploring the Levant Basin offshore in deeper waters. This risky move proved successful when the Leviathan gas field was discovered, estimated to contain 22 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Landau believes Israel needs energy independence and private sector exploration to prevent dependence on other countries for fossil fuels and bring economic benefits.

1. Yigal Landau
Ratio CEO
Biography

2. Yigal Landau is a businessman who successfully combines merge
of entrepreneurship and management skills of large-scale business
entities. Yigal has been active in the business arena since the 90’s.
In 1992, Yeshayahu (Shaikeh) and his son Yigal Landau, in
collaboration with the Rotlevy family, the late Zvi Tzafriri, and
Geologist Eitan Eisenberg, established the “Ratio Oil Exploration
(1992)” – Limited Partnership for the purpose of oil exploration in
Israel. Yigal was appointed to Director and General Manager of
Ratio and has held both positions since the establishment of the
Ratio.

3. Ratio, headed by Yigal Landau, conducts oil and gas exploration in
areas where oil rights are granted to Ratio by the State of Israel. In
the early years of its establishment, Ratio focused on onshore oil
exploration, however, after several dry wells as well as wells
which were regarded as non-commercial discoveries, Yigal, along
with his partners, decided to shift Ratio activities to the exploration
and production of hydrocarbons in deep water in the eastern basin
of the Mediterranean Sea known as the Levant Basin. Following
geological examinations conducted by a Ratio’s geologist in the
beginning of the century, the Partnership made a challenging
decision whereby, despite the significant costs required to carry
out exploration activities, including drill of wells, in deep water of
the Levant Basin, Ratio would concentrate on areas with the
highest probability for commercial discovery of oil.

4. The decision later turned out to be the right as well as a successful
choice. Ratio applied for the preliminary permit, named “Ratio
Yam,” and together with the US based Noble Energy and two
entities affiliated with the Israeli based Delek Group continued to
explore the area. Finally, subsequent to drilling the Leviathan 1
well, Leviathan was announced as commercial discovery. As of the
end of 2014, the resources in the Leviathan field are estimated in
the amount of approximately 22 trillion cubic feet of natural gas
and 39 million barrels of condensate. The Leviathan field is the
world’s best gas asset in terms of size, quality and production
capacity – all of that significant success has been made due to Yigal
and his partners at Ratio.
According to Landau’s worldview, Israel must strive and seek to
pursue energy independence, and therefore must continue to
enable private sector to continue the exploration for oil and gas in
Israel’s Exclusive Economic Zone. This approach stems from the
conviction that success in this area will prevent Israel from being
dependent on other countries for fossil energy and will create
significant economic benefits for the Israeli economy.

5. In addition to his activities with Ratio, Yigal Landau has
contributed over the years to many other noticeable
activities in the business field, including:
2005-2013 – Director at “Dalia” Power Energies Ltd.
2001 and onward – Director at Proseed Venture Capital Fund
Ltd.
1993 and onward – Director at the Union Bank of Israel.
1990 and onward – CEO of Hiram Landau Ltd.
Education
Yigal Landau holds an MBA in Business
Administration from Tel Aviv University (1986)
and a BSc in Engineering from the Technion –
Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa (1982). In
1987 he successfully completed a summer
Manager’s Course at Harvard University in the
United States. During his service with the IDF,
Yigal served in a Construction Center and holds
the rank of Major (Res.).