Drilling began today for Israel’s first oil well. The well has been named “Mazel No. 1.” The rig is set up near Sdom on land under joint oil lease to the Lapidoth Oil Company and the Jordan Exploration Company, both Israeli firms.
Finance Minister Levi Eshkol today sent the drillers the following message: “My greatest appreciation for your work. May the results be in accordance with our hopes and needs. Good drilling.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.